New Delhi, January 05, 2024: Congress party has rebranded its Manipur-to-Mumbai Nyay Yatra, now calling it ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.’ The decision, made during a meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, aims to leverage the established brand value of the previous Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Scheduled to commence on January 14, the 66-day journey will see its longest leg in Uttar Pradesh, spanning 11 days and covering 20 districts. This extensive route will include the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, represented by Sonia Gandhi, and Amethi, a significant constituency for former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
During the three-hour meeting, it was unanimously agreed that the Bharat Jodo Yatra had become a recognizable brand in the minds of the people and should not lose its value. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh highlighted the transformative impact of the 4,000-km Bharat Jodo Yatra from September 2022 to January 2023 on Indian political history. The party anticipates that the upcoming yatra will energize its cadres in preparation for the 2024 general election.
Starting from Imphal on January 14, the yatra will traverse 110 districts in 15 States, touching 100 Lok Sabha constituencies. The 15 States collectively hold 357 seats out of the total 545. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh confirmed that all INDIA bloc allies would be invited to participate in the yatra, scheduled to conclude on March 20.
In Uttar Pradesh, the yatra will cover a distance of 1,074 km across 20 districts, entering from Varanasi and passing through key locations such as Prayagraj, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Lucknow, Bareilly, Aligarh, and Agra. Notably, the yatra will skip Ayodhya, a focal point of the BJP’s election campaign.
After Uttar Pradesh, the yatra’s next lengthy spells will be in Assam and Jharkhand, each lasting eight days. Other states, including Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Rajasthan, will host the yatra for a day each.
In Gujarat, the yatris will spend five days, covering 445 km in seven districts. Arunachal Pradesh, initially excluded from the route, has been included for a day, covering 55 km.
The yatra will adopt a hybrid mode, utilizing buses for longer distances and incorporating daily foot marches of 8-10 km. Unlike the previous edition, committed “Bharat yatris” will not be present throughout the journey. However, a limited number of accompanying yatris will stay in containers fitted with beds and other amenities.
The Congress party is optimistic that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will replicate the success of its predecessor, leaving a lasting impact on the political landscape as it embarks on this 66-day journey across India.
