Bharat Jodo Yatra: Congress to take along like-minded political forces & NGOs

New Delhi: The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra will try to take along like-minded political forces and NGOs working in social sectors, sources said on Thursday. The yatra which will start from Kanyakumari and end in Kashmir will pass through at least 12 states. In these states the party will reach out to like-minded groups and political parties.

Sources said that Kanyakumari has been chosen because it is said that India is one from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

The sources said that the motive of the march will be socio-political as the earlier padyatra of YSR Reddy covering 1,475 km, meeting people across several districts in Andhra Pradesh, had catapulted the Congress to power both at the Centre and in the state.

Secondly, the Narmada Yatra of senior leader Digvijaya Singh enabled the Congress to form the government in Madhya Pradesh after 15 years. The source pointed out that though Singh's yatra had religious and social overtones but it helped the party.

The Congress pointed out that it has for the first time made a resolution in Hindi to target the Hindi heartland as the party is pitched in 200 seats directly against the BJP. The leader pointed that there will be state specific alliances, but there was no discussion on a pre-poll national alliance. However, the party is in a dilemma in West Bengal and other such states.

When asked, the leader said that, "the Congress has not taken VRS and it will be politically active in each state as it's the only party which has a national footprint, and to take the message of the party the Congress is holding a meeting of state leaders for two days."

The Congress has also decided to call a meeting of those leaders who missed the Udaipur Chintan Shivir. Those who will be invited include ministers in state governments, working state presidents and party spokespersons.

Sources said that the one-day meet is likely to be held in June. The meeting in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will be participating, will be held on the lines of the Chintan Shivir and will not be a one-way talk show. About 120 leaders including working presidents, ministers in state governments and spokespersons of the party will be participating.