Mumbai: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hold the culmination rally of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on March 17 in Mumbai, where the partners of INDIA bloc will be invited to join the rally. Mr. Gandhi’s yatra will enter the tribal dominated Nandurbar district of Maharashtra on March 12. Congress’s Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala has held a meeting in connection with preparation of Nyay Yatra.
A senior Congress leader, who attended the meeting, told this newspaper that the yatra will culminate at Chaitya Bhoomi, the memorial of Dr B.R. Ambedkar in Dadar on March 16. The next day, the culmination rally of the yatra will be held either in Shivaji Park in Dadar or MMRDA ground in BKC (Bandra-Kurla Complex).
“We have been seeking permission to hold the rally in Shivaji Park and MMRDA ground. We will prefer to hold at Shivaji Park provided the concerned authorities give the permission. AICC will invite the leaders of the INDIA bloc. In Maharashtra, the NCP founder Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will be invited,” the senior leader said.
He also said that Rahul Gandhi’s yatra will cover seven districts in Maharashtra namely Nandurbar, Dhule, Nashik, Palghar, Thane, Mumbai suburb and Mumbai. Nandurbar was the traditional stronghold of the Congress from where the party used to start its election campaign. However, the party has lost two consecutive elections from the ST reserved constituency to BJP leader Dr. Heena Gavit.
According to the Congress’s plan, Rahul Gandhi will hold a road show in Dhule city. Mr. Gandhi will also have interaction with tribal activists in Palghar district and with powerloom workers in Bhiwandi, which is hub of powerlooms.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said that INDIA bloc leaders will be present in the culmination rally and the campaign will be kicked off for Lok Sabha elections. “There will be many programmes during the yatra from Nandurbar to Mumbai and for that responsibilities have been given to the leaders of those areas. We have sought permission to hold the meeting at Shivaji Park ground. We hope that we will get the ground and that the government will not play cheap politics. The Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra is coming to the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. The BJP government at the center and the state is trying to end the thoughts of these great men. The BJP is out to destroy democracy and the constitution, but we are ready to answer them in any way we can,” Mr. Patole said.
