Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav.
Credit: PTI Photos
Lucknow: With the seat-sharing deal between the two parties having been finalised, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav would join senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' at Agra in Uttar Pradesh on February 25.
According to the UP Congress leaders here, Rahul, whose first phase of the yatra in UP concluded on Wednesday, would embark on the second phase of his yatra in the state from Agra on Sunday.
"Akhilesh Yadav will be joining Rahul Gandhi on February 25 in Agra," said a senior UP Congress leader here on Thursday.
The two parties had stitched an electoral alliance in the state on Wednesday. The Congress would contest on 17 seats, while the SP would be fielding its candidates on the remaining 67 seats.
Although Akhilesh was scheduled to join the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Amethi or Raebareli earlier in the week, he did not participate in the same saying that he would join the yatra only after the seat-sharing deal with the grand old party was finalised.
SP sources here said that preparations were being made to accord a grand welcome to the two leaders when they would arrive in the city on Sunday. It was not clear if Akhilesh would also address the gathering along with Rahul during the yatra in the town.
According to the sources, the SP has offered Amethi, Raebareli, Kanpur, Jhansi, Barabanki, Sitapur, Kaiserganj, Varanasi, Amroha, Saharanpur, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, Fatehpur Sikri, Hathras, Maharajganj and Baghpat seats to the Congress.