New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will not be joining the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh on Friday to bad health conditions. “I was eagerly waiting for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to reach Uttar Pradesh, but due to illness I had to be admitted to the hospital today itself,” the leader informed via X (formerly Twitter). The Yatra is currently in Bihar and is scheduled to reach Chandauli in UP after concluding the halt in Bihar. UP is the crucial Hindi state that elects the most MPs to the Lok Sabha.
Gandhi further wrote that she will be joining the journey as soon as she feels better. “Till then, I wish all the passengers reaching Chandauli-Banaras, my colleagues and dear brother from Uttar Pradesh who are diligently preparing for the journey,” she added.
मैं बड़े चाव से उत्तर प्रदेश में भारत जोड़ो न्याय यात्रा के पहुँचने का इंतजार कर रही थी, लेकिन बीमारी की वजह से मुझे आज ही अस्पताल में भर्ती होना पड़ा। थोड़ा बेहतर होते ही मैं यात्रा में जुड़ूँगी। तब तक के लिए चंदौली-बनारस पहुंच रहे सभी यात्रियों, पूरी मेहनत से यात्रा की तैयारी…
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) February 16, 2024
Nyay Yatra’s Route Not Shortened In UP: Cong
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the yatra has not been shortened in Uttar Pradesh as it will stay in the key Hindi state for eight days from 16th to 21st February before continuing to western Uttar Pradesh on 24th and 25th February. Earlier, UPCC chief Ajay Rai had notified that the UP leg of Nyay Yatra has been revised and reduced due to the ongoing UP Board exams.
Rai said that the changes were made due to logistical issues. He said that the places where the workers and organisers were supposed to stay are mostly private schools or colleges which will now be used for the board exams.
The omission of western UP from Rahul’s itinerary is important as it comes after RLD broke away from INDIA bloc. The Congress has a very weak presence in western UP and the party does not have any influential leader in the region. A senior leader said that they do not want to give an impression that Rahul’s presence in a certain area did not help them win seats.
Rahul Gandhi, the former head of Congress, is spearheading the Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai. The yatra is now in Bihar. The Manipur-Mumbai Yatra from East to West covers 6,700 km across 15 states and aims to spread the message of “nyay” (justice) while interacting with ordinary people along the way.