On Thursday, the Congress party announced the renaming of Rahul Gandhi-led East to West march, rebranding it as the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,’ with its inauguration scheduled for January 14 from Manipur. Formerly known as the “Bharat Nyay Yatra,” the Congress has extended an open invitation to all members of the INDIA bloc to join the yatra at any point along its extensive 6,713 km route spanning 15 states, including Arunachal Pradesh.
The 66-day yatra will spend its longest duration, 11 days, in Uttar Pradesh, a crucial state in Indian politics, contributing the most MPs to Parliament. With an aim to enhance its performance in Uttar Pradesh, where the party secured only one seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the yatra will cover 1,074 km across 20 districts. Jairam Ramesh, AICC leader, explained that the term “Jodo” was added to evoke the impact of the initial Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Jammu and Kashmir. Ramesh stated, “The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is open to everyone. We invite INDIA alliance parties, Congress-aligned parties from various states, and civil society organizations to participate.”
Addressing questions about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s participation, Ramesh confirmed that all INDIA bloc members, including AAP and Arvind Kejriwal, have been invited. He highlighted that the yatra would cover approximately 110 districts, around 100 Lok Sabha constituencies, and 337 assembly segments, proceeding both by buses and on foot. Ramesh emphasized the transformative political impact of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, drawing parallels to the previous Bharat Jodo Yatra. The concept of ‘Nyay’ is derived from the Indian Constitution’s preamble, promising justice—social, economic, and political—to all citizens. Ramesh stressed that liberty, equality, and fraternity are interconnected principles underlying the yatra’s objectives. During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi focused on concerns such as increasing inequality, social polarization, political tyranny, and authoritarianism, advocating for justice as the solution. The yatra will spend varying durations in states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Odisha, with the schedule reflecting its commitment to addressing diverse regional concerns.
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