The Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra is all set to be launched on Wednesday, September 7 from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu. Rahul Gandhi, along with over 100 ‘Bharat Padyatris’, will walk the 3,570-km yatra from Kanyakumari to Srinagar over the course of 150 days.
The Congress has asserted its Yatra is not a 'Mann Ki Baat', but to ensure people's concerns reach Delhi.
Key things to know
- Though the march, covering 12 states and two Union Territories in about five months, will be formally launched at the rally, it will actually begin at 7 am on Thursday when Gandhi and other Congress leaders will embark on the march.
- The march will move in two batches from 7 am to 10:30 am and from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. While the morning session will include fewer participants, the evening session will see mass mobilisation.
- The participants plan to walk around 22 to 23 km daily.
- Those participating in the yatra have been classified as "Bharat Yatris", "Atithi Yatras", "Pradesh Yatris" and "Volunteer Yatris". The tagline of the yatra is "Mile Kadam, Jude Watan".
- With the launch of the Yatra, the Congress is seeking to flag economic disparities, social polarisation and political centralisation, while attempting to make gains in what it often described as battle of ideologies.
- It has classified 119 leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, as 'Bharat Yatris' who will walk the entire route.
- About 30 per cent of 'Bharat Yatris' are women. The average age of Bharat Yatris is 38. About 50,000 citizens have also registered to participate in the Yatra.
- It will pass through Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Nilambur, Mysuru, Bellary, Raichur, Vikarabad, Nanded, Jalgaon, Indore, Kota, Dausa, Alwar, Bulandshahr, Delhi, Ambala, Pathankot, Jammu, and end in Srinagar.
- To coincide with the launch of the Yatra on Wednesday, 'Prarthana Sabhas' will be held by the Congress' state units at 5 pm, a leader said. At 7 am Thursday, 10 km foot marches will be held at block level.
- After reaching Kerala on September 11, the Yatra will traverse through the state for the next 18 days, reaching Karnataka on September 30. It will be in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north.
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