Congress's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' to remain in Uttar Pradesh for 11 days

The yatra to be led by former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is seen as a precursor to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. During the UP leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Rahul Gandhi along with other party leaders will cover a distance of 1074 kilometers through 20 districts in a bid to woo the voters ahead of the general elections.

Lucknow: The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', starting from January 14 under the leadership of former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, will remain in Uttar Pradesh for 11 days covering a distance of 1074 kilometers through 20 districts of the state, sources within the party said. Sources said that in these 20 districts, the Congress Party has included all those districts which are likely to be claimed by the Congress Party in alliance with other parties part of the INDIA opposition bloc, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

It is learnt that the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' will enter UP through Bihar via Chandauli and Varanasi. After 11 days of the UP leg of the yatra covering 1074 kilometers, the yatra will enter Rajasthan via Agra, sources said. The All India Congress Committee on Thursday released the complete route map of 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'. This journey is going to last for the most days and the longest in UP.

'UP Jodo Yatra' from December 20: It is learnt that after the inauguration of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Congress will continue the yatra in Uttar Pradesh as a precursor to the Lok Sabha election campaigning. With the finalization of the route of 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' from Manipur to Mumbai under the leadership of former Congress President Rahul Gandhi from January 14, the yatra aims to infuse new energy among the Congress leadership and ground workers especially after the defeat in the three state elections recently.

Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders said that the yatra will be of great help in creating an atmosphere in favour of the Congress in the state. The 'Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra' will enter the border of Uttar Pradesh via Chandauli via Sasaram in Bihar, from where it will pass through Varanasi, Prayagraj, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Lucknow via Sitapur, Shahjahanpur and reach Bareilly.

The Yatra will enter Dholpur district of Rajasthan via Agra via Badaun, Aligarh, Hathras, Mathura. Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders said that apart from its traditional seats Rae Bareli, Amethi, Congress has also included the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's Allahabad (Phulpur parliamentary seat), which is now in Prayagraj, in the yatra. Congress has tried to make a big political move by taking the yatra to Varanasi, the Lok Sabha seat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Districts of Purvanchal not included in the Yatra: Congress leaders say that in most of the 20 districts which have been included in the Yatra, Congress can lay its claim in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress is especially eyeing parliamentary seats like Lakhimpur, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Aligarh apart from Rae Bareli, Amethi, Prayagraj in Central UP.

While deciding the route plan of this yatra, Congress has not included the districts of Purvanchal, the strong stronghold of its 'INDIA' alliance partner Samajwadi Party, in the yatra.

Effort to show Hindu Muslim unity: In the route of 'Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra' prepared by All India Congress Committee for Uttar Pradesh, this journey will start from Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh. It will directly enter the city of Baba Vishwanath. The Congress party may hold a big road show and rally in Banaras, to make a statement from the Prime Minister's parliamentary seat. After this, the yatra will reach Prayagraj, where via the parliamentary seat of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the yatra will enter Amethi, the parliamentary seat of Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In 2019, Rahul Gandhi lost this seat to Union Minister Smriti Irani in the elections by around 50 thousand votes.

Congress wants to win this seat again in 2024. When this yatra reaches Amethi, here too Congress would like to show its strength and win this seat again in 2024. After this, this yatra will reach Bareilly via Rae Bareli, Lucknow, Sitapur and Shahjahanpur. In Bareilly, the party will try to unite Muslims and Dalits in favor of Congress in the entire western Uttar Pradesh through Deoband to woo the Muslim community.

Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said that the party has started preparations for this yatra. On January 6, the new in-charge of the party, Avinash Pandey will also formally register his arrival in Uttar Pradesh. From this very day, the Congress party will also start working on the strategy to make 'Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra' a success in Uttar Pradesh.