Congress to end Rahul yatra earlier than planned, skip most of west UP

In UP, the yatra was to pass through 28 Lok Sabha constituencies, among them Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seat Varanasi, Rae Bareli, Amethi, Allahabad, Phulpur, and Lucknow. The original route included areas such as Chandauli, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Allahabad, Bhadohi, Pratapgarh, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Lucknow, Hardoi, Sitapur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Rampur, Sambal, Amroha, Aligarh, Badaun, Bulandshahr, and Agra.

Sources said the yatra would now skip most of the western UP districts and travel directly from Lucknow to Aligarh and then to Agra, both in west UP, before entering Madhya Pradesh. Interestingly, the Congress’s INDIA bloc partner Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) that has a strong presence in west UP is in talks with the BJP to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Sources in the Congress, however, said the decision to curtail the yatra in UP had nothing to do with the political developments involving the RLD. “We wanted to slow down the yatra to ensure that Rahul Gandhi gets time for interactions with groups on the way,” said a party leader.

The yatra that was to culminate in Mumbai by March 20 may now end between March 10 and 14, at least a week earlier than planned as it will give more time for Gandhi to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

Sources said AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who has so far not joined the yatra, which will complete a month on February 14, might make an appearance when it enters UP.

Sources also said that the INDIA bloc has decided to hold its first joint rally later this month in Karnataka. The alliance is facing turmoil after the exit of Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), the Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party’s decisions to contest alone in West Bengal and Punjab, and is staring at the possible exit of RLD. The Congress will also invite all its INDIA partners to a rally marking the culmination of the yatra in Mumbai next month.