Nitish may skip Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Bihar: Report
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar won't be joining Rahul Gandhi for Congress's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra when it enters his state on Monday (January 29), NDTV said. A formal invitation was reportedly sent via Congress's legislature party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan on Wednesday evening. However, the Janata Dal (United) chief was non-committal about his participation.
Why does this story matter?
With Lok Sabha elections around the corner, members of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc are keen to finalize the seat-sharing arrangements. Seat-sharing is being viewed as a major step for the bloc, with some states being tricky for the INDIA allies where they are each other's competitors.
Fractures in INDIA bloc?
The JD(U) leader's alleged decision to stay away from the Gandhi-led yatra highlights the ongoing tension within the INDIA bloc over seat-sharing for the 2024 general polls. On Tuesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that they will contest 2024 elections solo in their respective states.
Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra enters West Bengal
Meanwhile, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Bengal's Cooch Behar district from Assam on Thursday morning. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday that the INDIA bloc will fight against "injustice" nationwide, on day 12 of the rally. "We included 'nyay' (justice) in the yatra because injustice prevails across the nation," he added.
What is Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra?
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra started from Manipur's Thoubal on January 14 and aims to cover over 6,700 kilometers in 67 days before concluding in Maharashtra's Mumbai in mid-March. The Congress has said that the party is taking out the yatra as the BJP-led central government did not give it an opportunity to raise issues in Parliament.
