Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has resumed his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi, marking a significant move in his extensive Manipur-Mumbai Yatra covering 15 states ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The yatra comes amidst heightened political activity as the polls are expected to be held in April-May this year.
Amethi, once considered a Congress stronghold, witnessed Rahul Gandhi’s defeat to Union Minister and BJP MP Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections. Meanwhile, Smriti Irani held a Jan Samwad in Amethi on Monday as part of her four-day visit to her parliamentary constituency.
The Congress remains undecided on whether Rahul Gandhi will attempt to regain the Congress stronghold, especially since Sonia Gandhi has also left Rae Bareli for the Rajya Sabha. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh emphasized the importance of Amethi for the party, indicating that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) will decide on the candidate contesting from the constituency.
Sonia Gandhi, who has represented Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha for five terms, served as the Congress’s national president for nearly 22 years and remains the current chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party.
The ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ is part of the Congress’s larger effort to connect with the masses ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Covering 6,700 km across 15 states, the yatra aims to address key issues and garner support as the election season approaches.