Maharashtra: Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' to arrive in Nanded on Monday night

Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra. File Pic

The 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Maharashtra's Nanded district around 9 pm on November 7 from neighbouring Telangana, the party said on Sunday, reported the PTI.

Bharat Jodo Yatra, the grand old party's mass contact initiative, will pass through 15 Assembly and six parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra during its 14-day schedule. Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address two rallies in the state, one each on November 10 and 18 respectively, as per the PTI.

The first rally will be held on November 10 in Nanded district and the second one on November 18 at Shegaon in Buldhana district.

The yatra that began on September 7 from Kanyakumari, will enter its 61st day on Monday. It will enter Maharashtra around 9 pm from Kamareddy in Telangana and reach Deglur in Nanded district, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) said, according to PTI.

The party's state unit has planned to hold a welcome ceremony for the yatra participants at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Kalamandir in Deglur, it said.

After the welcome ceremony, the yatra will resume at 10.10 pm, in which the participants will carry 'Ekta Mashals' (Unity Torches). Post mid-night, the marchers will take a break at a gurdwara in Deglur and later, they will take a night halt at the Chidravar Mill there. The yatra will resume on November 8 at 8.30 am, the party said.

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The yatra will cover a distance of 382 kms across five districts of the state before entering Madhya Pradesh on November 20. In Maharashtra, it will proceed through Nanded district for five days and enter Hingoli district on November 11, Washim district on November 15, Akola district on November 16 and Buldhana district on November 18.

Addressing a press conference in Nanded on Sunday, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said the yatra's aim was to protect the Constitution and democratic values.

"In the last eight years, the country has seen corruption, fear and hunger," he alleged, and demanded a face-to-face debate between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi on the issues plaguing the country.

''Ours is not a political yatra. It is aimed at highlighting the issues plaguing the country. Many prominent personalities we contacted said they support the yatra, but would not come in the open,' 'he said.

When asked about the participation of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, he said the Congress has invited the two leaders and added that they would take part in the yatra at some point.

A senior Congress leader earlier said that more than 100 prominent personalities from different walks of life will participate in the yatra.

(with PTI inputs)