‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ to cover 479km, six districts in Maharashtra

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' is expected to enter Maharashtra on March 15 and travel 479km across six districts before culminating in Mumbai on March 20. The yatra aims to raise issues of unemployment, inflation, and social justice. The final plan for the yatra is yet to be decided.

Mumbai: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ is likely to enter Maharashtra by March 15. It is expected to travel 479km and pass from six districts before culminating in Mumbai on March 20. The final plan for the yatra is yet to come.

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According to the party insiders, the yatra will enter from Nandurbar district which shares a border with Gujarat. It will come from Mandvi in Kutch district of Gujarat and from Nandurbar it will travel to districts such as Dhule, Jalgaon, Nashik and Thane before entering the financial capital.

“Rahul Gandhi ji will walk around 479 km in the state in five days to raise the issues of unemployment, inflation and social justice among other issues. The BJP wants to divide and rule the country against which our leader is raising his voice,” said Nana Patole, Maharashtra Congress chief on Thursday.

The party is planning a grand event for the culmination ceremony for the 66-day long ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ which will conclude in Mumbai. “The party is looking at the historic Azad Maidan or Shivaji Park as the potential venues for the programme. We have yet to finalise a venue which will be based on the final details of the yatra that is expected to come in the coming days,” said a senior Congress leader, wishing to remain anonymous.

During ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Rahul Gandhi walked a total 382km in 14 days and covered five districts — Nanded, Hingoli, Washim, Akola and Buldhana. This yatra will not be entirely on foot and will be done in hybrid mode. It means, that for the long parts of the journey, buses will be used as a mode of transport. Thus it will be in the state only for five days but will cover six districts.

The change was made considering time constraints owing to the general election scheduled in the coming months.

The state leadership is looking at the yatra as a big boost for the Maharashtra unit for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections which would have been announced by then, the party leaders said. In addition, the party has decided to hold region-wise meetings, leader training programs and a two-day state-level conclave in the coming weeks to overhaul the organisation in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. The decision was taken in the extended executive committee meeting of the state unit held at Tilak Bhavan on Thursday.