Congress likely to launch Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0 in January 2024: Sources

Congress is considering launching the second phase of its public outreach rally Bharat Jodo Yatra any time after the first week of January 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, sources told India Today on Tuesday.

Led by Rahul Gandhi, Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0 will be in hybrid mode, with participants marching on foot as well as using vehicles.

As per sources, two routes are being explored for the Yatra. If finalised, it will begin from a Northeastern state. The special focus of this edition would be on Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, a senior leader had told India Today.

Since the proposed period will be in the run-up to the general elections, the party is also planning to include prominent faces from the opposition ranks, sources told India Today.

Similar to the first edition of the Yatra, a series of public



meetings at the culmination point every day, addressed by Rahul Gandhi, is also being planned in this round as well.

The proposed Yatra is likely to be discussed and endorsed during the Congress Working Group meeting to be held on December 21.

The first phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra, which commenced on September 7, 2022, from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, covered a distance of approximately 4,080 kilometers before concluding in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, in January 2023. It passed through 75 districts in 12 states in 126 days, marking India’s longest foot march.

With Rahul Gandhi at the helm of the Yatra, the primary objective of this mass movement, as promoted by Congress, was to unite India against the divisive politics of the ruling BJP at the center. It also aimed to address other socio-economic issues such as unemployment and inequality.