ANANTAPUR: Rahul Gandhi’s Bharath Jodo Yatra is likely to be halted for three days in Anantapur if polling is inevitable for the Congress president elections on October 17.
The Yatra will enter AP at D.Hirehal mandal in Anantapur district, bordering Bellary district of Karnataka on October 14 after it covers Karnataka.
The yatra will be only for a few hours in Anantapur district after which it would enter Alur assembly segment in Kurnool district for a four-day journey.
The yatra will pass through Alur, Yemmiganur and Mantralayam assembly segments. However, the Kurnool schedule may clash with the party president polls scheduled for October 17 in New Delhi.
Three candidates -- Mllikajrnuna Kharge, KN Tripathi and Sasshi Tharoor submitted their nominations on Friday, the last day for nominations. After withdrawals, if the president is elected unanimously and there is no polling, Rahul Gandhi will continue with his Bharath Jodo Yatra in Kurnool district. Otherwise, he will go to New Delhi from Kurnool to participate in the election process. A temporary halt for the yatra is likely and it will be continued with a revised schedule,” party leader Sailajanath said.
APCC working president Tulasi Reddy said the yatra will last only three hours in Anantapur district while a four-day schedule has been fixed for Kurnool district. A meeting with top leaders of the Congress party will be convened on October 4 to finalise the arrangements for the yatra in Anantapur and Kurnool districts.
Senior leaders Pallam Raju, JD Seelam and Digvijay Singh along with several national and state leaders will take part in the meeting in Kurnool on October 4.
Notably, the Congress party had held a meeting for party chief Sonia Gandhi to offer financial aid to family members of farmers who committed suicide in Anantapur district some years ago. The party is planning a similar programme in Kurnool district during Bharat Jodo Yatra.
