BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of the Bharat Jodo Yatra of the Congress to be launched from Bhubaneswar on October 31, the president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Sarat Pattanayak will complete the first phase of his Jana Sampark Yatra at Rayagada on Tuesday. Pattanayak will touch all 30 districts during his month-long yatra.
The yatra will not be, however, a padayatra like the Bharat Jodo Yatra. During the yatra, the OPCC president will attend meetings at the district-level and interact with the party leaders and workers to prepare them for the Bharat Jodo Yatra. “I have already covered six districts, including Sundargarh, Angul, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Deogarh districts and will visit Rayagada on September 27 during the first phase of the Yatra,” he said.
Pattanayak said all senior leaders of the party of the area are being involved to make the Bharat Jodo Yatra a success. He said the second phase will start in the first week of October from Kalahandi and Nuapada districts which were once stronghold of the Congress. “I will cover all the districts during the Jana Sampark Yatra where the Bharat Jodi Yatra cannot reach,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Congress is also going to hold a preparatory meeting for the Bharat Jodo Yatra at Barunei on September 29. Party leaders and workers from Khurda and nearby districts have been asked to attend the meeting to discuss on how to make the yatra a success.