Congress reaches out to like-minded parties for 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'
What's the story
Congress will reportedly approach like-minded opposition parties to join the party's ambitious "Bharat Jodo Yatra," which will begin on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) this year, covering 16 states. There will be enough room for accommodating such parties as this rally "doesn't have any electoral objective" and hence has "no ideological hurdle for anyone to join" it, a Congress leader reportedly said.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The Bharat Jodo Yatra aims to spread the message of unity across India and will be the Congress's first pan-Indian march in independent India. The planning for the rally started during the party's "Chintan Shivir" at Udaipur in May this year. Congress leaders wanted Rahul Gandhi to lead the Bharat Jodo Yatra, though Gandhi reportedly stressed keeping it as a party program.
Details
Gandhi to lead Bharat Jodo Yatra
Reportedly, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is set to lead the rally, which will begin in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari and end in Kashmir. The party aims to cover at least 16 states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, among others. Congress plans to cover the entire 3,500-kilometer-long journey by foot in five to six months.
Information
Gandhi wanted to cover 30km per day: Congress leader
An anonymous senior Congress leader said Gandhi "wants to walk the entire distance between Kanyakumari to Kashmir." They added, "In fact, his initial suggestion was to cover more than 30km per day but he was reminded that not everyone is as fit as him."
Yatra
Preparations for the rally already started
Notably, preparations for the rally have started as a committee led by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh had already been constituted to plan for the same. The central planning panel for the coordination of the rally will comprise Singh, Sachin Pilot, Shashi Tharoor, Ravneet Singh Bittu, KJ George, Jothi Mani, Pradyut Bordoloi, Jitu Patwari, and Saleem Ahmed as the members.
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'Yatra is to strengthen the bonds of social harmony'
Announcing the Bharata Jodo Yatra on May 15 in Udaipur, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said all party members will participate in it. "The Yatra is to strengthen the bonds of social harmony that are under stress, to preserve the foundational values of our Constitution that are under assault, and to highlight the day-to-day concerns of crores of our people," she had stated.