Congress renames Rahul Gandhi-led yatra, adds Arunachal Pradesh to route
The Congress on Thursday renamed the Rahul Gandhi-led yatra as "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra" and invited all Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) leaders to join wherever they can. Starting in Manipur's capital Imphal on January 14, the yatra will cover 15 states, 110 districts, and 110 Lok Sabha seats, traveling 6,713km over 67 days. It will conclude in Mumbai on March 20. Last year, Gandhi walked 4,080km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir as a part of the "Bharat Jodo Yatra."
Why does this story matter?
The announcement of the yatra comes just months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress and its INDIA bloc allies are looking to unseat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Centre. The yatra will spend maximum time in the BJP-led states of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, per HT. In November, the Congress suffered major political defeats when it lost Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh to the BJP. It might attempt to regain lost ground through this yatra.
Final route of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra
Maximum days will be spent in Uttar Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is the latest addition to the pre-decided route. During the yatra, participants will spend 11 days in Uttar Pradesh, traversing 1,074km across 20 districts. This crucial Hindi heartland state has proven challenging for the party in recent Lok Sabha elections, and the Congress aims to connect with residents there. The route was finalized in the aftermath of a meeting convened in Delhi attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Gandhi, and state in-charges, among others.
Yatra details from Manipur to Maharashtra
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will cover various distances in different states. In Uttar Pradesh, it will cover 1,074km, which will be the longest. In contrast, Gandhi and his supporters will walk only 5 kilometers in Meghalaya. The yatra will conclude in Mumbai on March 20 after traveling through six districts in Maharashtra. With the addition of Arunachal Pradesh, the overall distance of the movement has been extended from 6,200km to 6,700km.
Know about previous Bharat Jodo Yatra
The Bharat Jodo Yatra began in September 2022 from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, passed through 12 states, and culminated in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, in January 2023. It covered a distance of over 4,000km in about 150 days. The Congress claimed it was aimed at uniting the country by encouraging people to come together against the alleged economic, social, and political issues they were facing.
