NEW DELHI, 4 Jan: The Congress on Thursday renamed the Rahul Gandhi-led Manipur-Mumbai march, starting on 14 January, ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ (BJNY), which will travel through 15 states, including Arunachal Pradesh.
This was announced by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh after a meeting of party general secretaries, state in-charges, state unit chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge at the Congress headquarters here.
Earlier, it was named Bharat Nyay Yatra.
Ramesh said that the Congress invites all INDIA bloc leaders to participate in this yatra, and pointed out that invitations are being sent out for it.
He said that the yatra of over 6,713 kms will be covered in buses and on foot. It will cover 110 districts, about 100 Lok Sabha seats and 337 assembly segments.
Ramesh claimed the BJNY would prove to be as transformative for politics as the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir was.
Cong leaders meet to discuss poll strategy, BJNY
Earlier, senior Congress leaders from across the country met here on Thursday to discuss strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, seat sharing and preparations for the BJNY.
Kharge convened the meeting of party general secretaries, state in-charges, state unit chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders at the party headquarters here. Former party chief Rahul Gandhi was also present.
This was the first meeting of the newly appointed party officials after Kharge carried out a reshuffle in December.
Ahead of the meeting, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that two meetings of the internal Congress committee were held to deliberate on seat sharing with other parties.
“The committee will now present its report to party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi. We will be meeting again to discuss strategies to strengthen the INDIA alliance and address seat-sharing issues,” Gehlot said.
The Congress has been out of power for 10 years and is now banking on the INDIA bloc to together take on the BJP and oust it from power.
The Congress leadership has held separate meetings with state leaders and discussed the poll preparedness in their respective states in the past few months.
The BJNY will be held from 14 January to 20 March.
The yatra from India’s east to west is an attempt by the Congress to reach out to people and connect with them ahead of the Lok Sabha polls due in April-May. (PTI)
