The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday kicked off its rathyatra in Mumbai as a precursor to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's public rally on January 12.

The rally, at Mumbia's Shivaji Park, is being held to felicitate Modi's victory in the Gujarat assembly election.

Vinod Tawde, Mumbai BJP president, who flagged off the first rath said, "We will have ten such rathyatras in Mumbai to create awareness among the public about Modi's rally."

This time the party is using Armada jeeps instead of the usual Toyota or Mazda van to carry huge posters and banners announcing the arrival of Modi in Mumbai.

BJP party supporters shouted slogans such as 'Gujarat to Ek Jhanki Hai, Poora Desh Baki Hai' [Gujarat is but a trailer, the movie is yet to begin] to commence the journey of the rathyatra.

Asked if this was the beginning of the election campaign in Maharashtra, Tawde said, "The elections are 18 months away from Maharahshtra and so to say that this meeting is being held keeping elections in mind would be wrong in my opinion."

The most interesting part of the meeting was that a majority of the speakers on the dais kept referring to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

"Mian Musharraf tried to spread terrorism in Gujarat by sending terrorists to Akshardham in Gujarat, but his plans were foiled by Narendra Modi," Mangal Prabhat Lodha, BJP legislator, said.

Another MLA, Atul Shah, said, "Miyan Musharraf has tried to spread terrorism everywhere in India. Be it Punjab, Kashmir or Gujarat. But thanks to Narendra Modi, he has tackled the terrorist very well in Gujarat."

The Shiv Sena, BJP's alliance partner in Maharashtra, however opted out of the function, though Pramod Navalkar, senior Sena leader, is likely to attend Modi's rally.

Political observers feel the Sena is upset by the fact that the BJP supporters are coining the term of 'Hindu Hridaysamrat' for Narendra Modi that is often used by their supreme, Bal Thackeray.

The Sena also feel that the BJP is trying to steal 'their agenda' of Hindutva in Maharashtra.