Rahul Yatra Day 43: Asks party to build on good response in Andhra

At street corner meetings Thursday, Gandhi said that all the commitments and assurances made by the UPA government during the state’s bifurcation in 2014 would be fulfilled by the Congress when it comes to power.

Gandhi said that the response in Andhra Pradesh, where the Congress was decimated after the bifurcation, was enthusiastic and asked APCC leaders to build on this response to revive the party. He told Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Dr S Shailajanath that the Bharat Jodo Yatra through Kurnool was a good starting point for rebuilding it.

Gandhi also met several farmers and representatives of civil society organisations along the way. He resumed the yatra in the morning from Banavasi village in Yemmiganur mandal accompanied by Shailajanath, former Union minister Pallam Raju and others.
In the first leg, Gandhi walked till Mugati village. In the second leg, he resumed walking at 4 pm and halted for the night at Chetnihalli. Local Congress leaders and hundreds of Youth Congress and Congress workers and supporters joined Gandhi. During the evening break, Gandhi visited Raghavendra Swamy Mutt at Mantralayam.

His brief yatra through Kurnool district will end Friday after covering about 100 km through the Assembly constituencies of Adoni, Aluru, Mantralayam and Yemmiganur.

He will cross over to Raichur in Karnataka and enter Telangana on October 23-24 at Kamareddy, just 10 days ahead of the Munugode bypoll. The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) is hoping that his presence in the state will bolster its chances in the bypoll.

In Telangana, the TPCC is preparing a grand welcome for its leader. Former minister and ex-Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir said elaborate arrangements were being made to ensure the Bharat Jodo Yatra’s “grand success” in the state. TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy along with Ali and other leaders will welcome Gandhi at Jukkal where he enters Telangana.