Congress pins hope on Bharat Jodo Yatra to revive party in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Patiala, Jan 9

The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) is all set to welcome Rahul Gandhi at the Shambhu barrier (Rajpura) on the Punjab-Haryana border on Tuesday as the Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter its Punjab leg for nine days. All senior leaders have been asked to be present at the barrier to receive him.

After reviewing the final arrangements for the yatra, PCC chief Amrinder Raja Warring said the yatris would be received by the entire leadership of the party and as a symbolic gesture, Rahul would be honoured with a turban.

“The yatris will head to Sirhind, where Rahul will stay the night and a rally will be held at the new grain market,” said former MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra and MP Dr Amar Singh. All hotels in and around Sirhind, religious places, guest houses are jam-packed as people from adjoining constituencies have already arrived here.

After paying obeisance at the historic Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib early next morning (January 11), the yatra will proceed to Khanna. Patiala Congress MP Preneet Kaur, whose husband and former CM Capt Amarinder Singh had joined the BJP, will not be a part of the yatra that is aimed to revive the party in state.

Punjab Congress leadership has planned Rahul’s interaction with retired defence officers, CEOs of tech starts-ups, representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions and industrialists. “A meeting has been scheduled with the industrialists of Asia’s biggest steel town Mandi Gobindgarh. Rahul Gandhi would address the industrialists and listen to their suggestions,” said Kaka Randeep Singh, former Amloh MLA. On January 12, there will not be any rally in the evening and the entire 25-km stretch will be covered in a single go. On the account of Lohri, there would no rally on January 13, said a spokesman of the PCC. On January 19, Rahul will address a rally.

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