Lucknow: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is all set to undertake a padyatra from Sarnath in Varanasi district to revive the Congress in UP.
The padyatra, according to party sources, will begin in January but the date and the route are yet to be decided.
Varanasi is also the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sarnath is a Buddhist landmark where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon.
According to Varanasi district Congress president in Varanasi Prajanath Sharma, “Varanasi is the political hub of eastern UP and the Congress had put up a spirited fight against Mr Modi in the Lok Sabha elections. Besides, Varanasi is politically, culturally and socially vibrant and each and every activity is minutely noticed”.
Mr Gandhi, apparently, wants to reach out to the tribal population in this belt and also the poorest of the poor in his padyatra.
The UP Congress plans to hold a conference in Varanasi later this month to discuss ways to revive the party in the state. The padayatra is expected to begin after the conference.
