From January 14, Rahul Gandhi will embark on the "Bharat Nyay Yatra," an east-to-west reenactment of the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai. The Congress hoped that this event would inspire the state units en route to the Lok Sabha elections. The yatra, which will end in Mumbai on March 20, will span 6,200 km, passing through 14 states and 85 districts.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra changed its name to the Bharat Nyay Yatra, signalling the election context. The party is trying to convince voters of its plan to address the concerns they brought up during the initial walkathon from Kanyakumari to Srinagar.
ICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh said, “During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi raised the issues of economic disparities, social polarisation and dictatorship. The Nyay Yatra will promise economic, social and political justice to the people.” The choice of Manipur for the launch, Venugopal said, is to “heal the wounds” of the state riven by the prolonged ethnic conflict.
Given the paucity of time ahead of the polls, the yatra will be by bus, with foot marches around designated towns, cities and villages, and will follow the now-known format of public meetings, street corner gatherings and group interactions. The yatra will cover more distance in less time, with Bharat Jodo Yatra having traversed around 4,000 km from September 7, 2022 to January 30, 2023.