BHUBANESWAR: Rahul Gandhi is likely to cover at least five districts in Odisha as part of his Bharat Nyay Yatra. Sources said the yatra which starts from Imphal on January 14 will enter Odisha through the Balasore district. It is most likely to pass through Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Jharsuguda districts before entering Chhattisgarh. The yatra will culminate at Mumbai on March 20.
Sources said the president of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi may join the yatra at some point in the state. President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Sarat Pattanayak said lakhs of party workers and supporters are eagerly waiting to join Gandhi’s Bharat Nyay Yatra. The leaders are upbeat about it, he said adding the former Congress chief is expected to interact with the youth, women and marginalised communities in the state.
However, unlike Bharat Jodo Yatra, Bharat Nyay Yatra will mostly be covered by bus along with short stints on foot. The yatra this time will focus on social, economic and political justice for the people.
A public meeting is also being planned at Sundargarh to be addressed by Gandhi along with the AICC president. Pattanayak and other senior leaders visited Sundargarh to select the venue for the meeting. Pattanayak thanked Gandhi and senior AICC leaders for including Odisha in the Bharat Nyay Yatra.
The performance of Congress will improve in the coming elections, the OPCC chief said.