Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati skipped the Bharat Jodo Yatra as it entered Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The two leaders, however, showered generous praise on Rahul Gandhi’s initiative and wished all the success to the yatra. The Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed its second leg from the national capital Delhi after a 9-day break.
Akhilesh wished all success to the yatra on its way ahead and lauded it for generating the public support it did on its way to Delhi. Yadav tweeted a letter expressing his support to the yatra’s continued success while turning down an invite from the Congress to join the march. Mayawati also tweeted her best wishes while refusing to join in.
While the yatra was criticised for spending less time in the then-poll bound Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, the state which holds the key to the Lok Sabha, the decision to invite the leadership of the SP and BSP hinted at a possible, yet distant, rapprochement.
Rahul Gandhi had himself hinted at a press conference in Delhi that the opposition should iron out their differences ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Uttar Pradesh from Loni in Ghaziabad. The Congress had invited SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, SBSP president OP Rajbhar, SP MLA Shivpal Singh Yadav, RLD president Jayant Chaudhary and CPI secretary Atul Anjan. Apart from these, BJP leader and former deputy CM Dinesh Sharma was also invited.
The Congress workers lined up on both sides of the road at the Loni border in Ghaziabad and welcomed Rahul Gandhi and other ‘yatris’ as the march entered the state. AICC general secretary in-charge for UP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined the march and welcomed her brother amidst presence of leaders of the UP & Delhi Congress.
The yatra flag was handed to the leaders of both the states on a stage set up for the purpose. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar Chaudhary, and Congress leaders of Uttar Pradesh, including CLP leader Aradhna Mishra, were among those present on the occasion.
UP Congress Committee president Brijlal Khabri said he saw a great turnout in Delhi and that leaders of various opposition parties would join the yatra.
“Rahul Gandhi is interacting and listening to the problems of the common man. So far, the yatra has been very successful. We have received an overwhelming response,” Khabri said.
The yatra will remain in Uttar Pradesh for two days before entering Haryana’s Panipat by Thursday evening.
After traversing Punjab and a day through Himachal Pradesh, the yatra will enter Jammu and Kashmir. Starting from Kanyakumari on September 7, the yatra has so far travelled over 3,000 kms. It will conclude on January 30 in Srinagar with the hoisting of the national flag by Rahul Gandhi.