The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' organized by the Congress, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, is set to make its entry into West Bengal from Assam on Thursday, creating political ripples within the INDIA bloc alliance in the state.
Commencing a day after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's declaration that her party would independently contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, the Bengal leg of the Yatra will unfold. Both the Congress and the TMC are integral parts of the INDIA bloc, a coalition formed to counter the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the 2024 Parliamentary elections.
The Yatra is slated to enter West Bengal through Bakshirhat in Cooch Behar district in the northern region of the state. After a brief pause on January 26-27, it will traverse through Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Uttar Dinajpur, and Darjeeling districts before heading into Bihar on January 29.
Re-entering West Bengal on January 31 through Malda, the Yatra will journey through Murshidabad, both strongholds of the Congress, before departing the state on February 1. Covering 523 km across six districts and six Lok Sabha constituencies—Darjeeling, Raigunj, North and South Malda, and two in Murshidabad—the Bengal leg of the Yatra spans five days.
This visit marks Rahul Gandhi's first appearance in the state since the April-May 2021 assembly polls. Former state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya is optimistic about the impact, stating, "We are hopeful that Rahul Ji's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will breathe new life into Bengal's Congress unit, aiding us both organizationally and electorally ahead of the Lok Sabha polls."
On Thursday afternoon, Gandhi will lead a padayatra from Maa Bhawani Chowk in Cooch Behar town, followed by a bus journey to Gokshadanga, then Falakata in Alipurduar district for an overnight stay. A break is scheduled on January 26-27, with the Yatra resuming from Falakata on January 28, passing through Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Naxalbari in Darjeeling district, and Uttar Dinajpur district.
The CPI(M) and Left parties, allies of the Congress within the state and the INDIA bloc at the national level, are expected to join the march. However, TMC has decided to abstain, citing a lack of information about the Yatra. Banerjee expressed her displeasure, stating, "Did they (Congress) let me know that they are coming to Bengal for the Yatra? I am not aware of it." This led senior Congress leader Deepa Dasmunsi to comment, "It seems the TMC is trying to help the BJP in the state."
In an unexpected move, TMC boss Banerjee declared on Wednesday that her party would independently contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, causing a setback to the opposition INDIA bloc. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in Assam, remarked, "No one can imagine the existence of the opposition INDIA bloc without West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee." Despite being part of the 28-party INDIA bloc, in West Bengal, the CPI(M) and Congress have aligned against the TMC and BJP.
The Yatra, which embarked from Manipur on January 14, is set to cover 6,713 km in 67 days, passing through 110 districts in 15 states before culminating in Mumbai on March 20.
(With Agency Inputs)
ALSO READ | Case filed against Rahul Gandhi, other Cong leaders, asserts Assam CM
