Congress may announce east-to-west yatra in Plenary session

Congress may announce a follow-up yatra from the eastern parts of the country to the west on the lines of the Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra during the Plenary Session in Raipur starting this Friday.

Sources said there have been demands from various quarters for such an exercise, especially after the "success" of the Rahul Gandhi-led 'padayatra' that lasted for around 150 days and culminated in Srinagar last month.

The plan is to hold the exercise later this year from Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat's Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, in what is seen as the party's attempt at symbolism like it during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

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The Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra ended on January 30, the martyrdom day of the Mahatma.

However, sources said, the east to west yatra is unlikely to be a continuous yatra like the Bharat Jodo Yatra, as it is an election year, and the party cannot divert its attention much out of routine organisational and election work.

The yatra will be a hybrid one with a lesser number of permanent yatris due to logistical issues.

Sources said there could be a discussion on the possible yatra at the plenary and once the delegates overwhelmingly support the idea, it could be a reality.

Congress has already made it clear that the Plenary Session will be a "clear reflection" of the stage set by the Bharat Jodo Yatra and "clear extension" of the Udaipur Chintan Shivir last May.

The follow-up campaign of the yatra 'Haath se Haath Jodo' (Joining Hands Together) has been chosen as the tagline for the Plenary.

Sources said the emphasis on Bharat Jodo Yatra in the plenary could signal that the party is serious about a second leg of the yatra from the east to the west.