Rahul-Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0 likely between December & February 2024: Reports

Congress sources said that the possibility of a second phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra between December and February can’t be ruled out.

In September 2023, members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), including former union minister P Chidambaram had urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to initiate another Bharat Jodo Yatra, this time spanning from the east to the west.

"That matter is under consideration," he had said in response to a question about organising the second edition of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The first phase of this yatra covered a journey from Kanyakumari in the south to Kashmir in the north.

Media reports suggested that the second phase of the Yatra is anticipated to commence in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, and conclude in Porbandar, Gujarat, which is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi.

Unlike the initial march, the second phase may not be entirely on foot, and vehicles or boats may be utilized to cover certain areas, according to Congress sources.

Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0 will be in hybrid mode, reported the India Today.

The first Bharat Jodo Yatra by the Congress marked India's longest foot march, covering 75 districts in 126 days.

It began in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, on September 7 of the previous year and concluded in Srinagar, Kashmir, on January 30, covering a total distance of 4,080 km.

Former Congress president, Rahul Gandhi led the first phase of the yatra, and its primary goal, as stated by the grand old party, was to unite India against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's divisive politics.

The Congress has credited the first Bharat Jodo Yatra with electoral gains in some states, such as Karnataka.

Political watchers believe that if the yatra concludes in February, it would coincide with the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, and may influence electoral outcome in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.