Congress: 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' resumes from Rajasthan's Bundi

Jaipur: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed the Rajasthan leg of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Gudli village in Bundi district on Saturday morning. Gandhi had taken a day's break from the yatra on Friday to celebrate his mother Sonia Gandhi's birthday.

He flew back to Gudli village to resume the yatra. Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who had reached Ranthambore on Thursday, were not accompanying him in the yatra on Saturday. However, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and several other party leaders and workers accompanied Rahul Gandhi.

On the 94th day, the yatra is likely to cover 30 km from Gudli village in Keshoraipatan assembly constituency in Bundi district represented by BJP MLA Chandrakanta Meghwal.

Rahul Gandhi stopped for a tea break at a roadside dhaba near Hastinapur village on the way to Arneta. He stopped for around 15 minutes for tea and refreshment after covering nearly 12 km.

After tea, the yatra left for its next halt at Arneta in Kapren. Lunch break is scheduled at Arneta. The yatra will start its afternoon leg at 3.30 pm. It is slated to reach Balapura Chouraha at 6.30 pm with night stay at Kodkya, near Bajdali railway crossing.

As the yatra reached Sunwasa village, the participants were welcomed with Sanskrit verses recited by the pupils of a Ved Vidyalaya.

Hundreds of people from others districts of the state also reached Gudli on Friday night and early Saturday morning to join the yatra.

Pukhraj Mehra (65), a retired Nayab Tehsildar from Jodhpur, along with his five or six companions reached Bundi on Friday night and joined the yatra.

"I had the opportunity to have a close look at Rahul Gandhi even though I was out of the security circle," said Mehra, who marched for around five kilometres.

This is the first time that the yatra, which began from Kanyakumari on September 8, has entered a Congress-ruled state.

The yatra is scheduled to cover a distance of 500 km -- passing through Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts -- in 17 days before entering Haryana on December 21.