Rahul's Bharat Nyay Yatra from Manipur on Jan. 14

New Delhi: As the Lok Sabha elections draw near, the Congress has unveiled the second phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, now named the Bharat Nyay Yatra, to be led by Rahul Gandhi. The 6,200 km journey is scheduled to commence from Manipur on January 14, covering 85 districts across 14 states and concluding in Mumbai on March 20.

AICC general secretary in charge of the organisation, K.C. Venugopal, and general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, announced that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge would inaugurate the yatra in Imphal on January 14. The Nyay Yatra aims to advocate for economic, social, and political justice for the people of the country.

Venugopal revealed that the decision to undertake the second phase of the yatra from East to West, as per the unanimous resolution of the Congress Working Committee on December 21, led to the selection of the route from Imphal to Mumbai. Interactions with women, youth, and marginalised communities are planned during the yatra, which will predominantly be covered by bus with intermittent walking stretches.

Explaining the choice of Manipur as the starting point, Venugopal emphasised its significance in the national context and the party's commitment to initiating the process of "healing the wounds" of the people in the northeastern state. Manipur has been grappling with severe ethnic conflicts, particularly between the Kuki and Meitei communities, resulting in substantial casualties and displacement.

Jairam Ramesh highlighted that while the Bharat Jodo Yatra focused on economic disparities, polarisation, and dictatorship, the Nyay Yatra would shift its focus to championing social, economic, and political justice for the country's citizens.

The states covered during the Bharat Nyay Yatra include Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Rahul Gandhi had earlier embarked on the Bharat Jodo Yatra in September of the preceding year, a five-month foot march that concluded in Srinagar in January. Congress leaders widely attributed the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra to the party's electoral performance in Karnataka and Telangana.