Congress is curtailing the Uttar Pradesh segment of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, as per reports.
According to a report by the Indian Express, the Yatra might conclude by March 10 - 14 which is almost a week ahead of the original timeline.
Originally, the yatra was planned to travel through 28 Lok Sabha constituencies, including high-profile areas such as Varanasi, Rae Bareli, Amethi, Allahabad, Phulpur, and Lucknow.
But after seeking a new strategy, Congress has decided to skip most western UP districts, opting for a more direct route from Lucknow to Aligarh and then proceeding to Agra before entering Madhya Pradesh.
This change comes amid political developments involving the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), an INDIA bloc partner of the Congress, engaged in talks with the BJP to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the region.
According to reports, the Congress officials denied that the decision to curtail the yatra is related to the RLD's negotiations with the BJP.
A party leader told INE, "We wanted to slow down the yatra to ensure that Rahul Gandhi gets time for interactions with groups on the way."
AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has yet to join the yatra, may make an appearance when it enters Uttar Pradesh.
The yatra began on January 14 was expected to conclude in Mumbai by March 20, aligning with the Lok Sabha elections.
Over the period of the Yatra, Congress along with the INDIA bloc has seen several noteworthy changes that include Nitish Kumar and JD(U) leaving the Opposition alliance to join back the NDA-backed coalition in Bihar.
Opposition parties and members of the INDIA bloc Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have announced of going solo in West Bengal and Punjab respectively for the Lok Sabha polls.
RLD has also given indication of possible change of alliance from INDIA to NDA.
