AGRA: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Agra on Sunday, days after the two parties reached a seat-sharing arrangement in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha polls.
Akhilesh joined the Yatra during its last leg in Uttar Pradesh. It transcended into Rajasthan from Agra on Sunday. Meanwhile, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also joined the Yatra in Moradabad on Saturday.
For days, the SP chief refused to join the Yatra saying that he would only participate once the seat-sharing with Congress was finalised in the state. Akhilesh was supposed to join Rahul Gandhi in Rae Bareli on February 21. However, on Sunday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi welcomed the Samajwadi Party chief to the yatra.
While raising the slogan of ‘BJP haatao, desh bachao’, the SP chief said that the biggest challenge for all the parties would be to save democracy and the Indian Constitution in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He said that the main task of the opposition bloc INDIA would be to fulfil the dreams of Dr BR Ambedkar which the BJP had shattered.
As per the seat-sharing deal between the two parties, the Congress will contest from 63 seats in the state. The remaining 63 seats will be contested by the SP and other parties who are willing to be part of the INDIA alliance.
While addressing the public in Agra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: “It's been a year since we completed the Bharat Jodo Yatra and walked 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. During that yatra, a person told me that 'you are trying to open a Mohabbat Ki Dukan in Nafrat Ka Bazaar. Now, this is what we, along with Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, are trying to do again."
Before entering Agra, Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra crossed the western districts of UP in the Aligarh division including Amroha, Sambhal, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, and Hathras. While addressing the public during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra targeted the BJP for losing connection with India's youngsters, policemen and students.
She also attacked the saffron party for the rising unemployment, inflation and the situation of farmers in India. Rahul Gandhi's foot march started in Manipur on January 14 and will end in Mumbai on March 20.
