NCP, Shiv Sena-UBT to march with Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra next month

The Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray will join the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra led by party MP Rahul Gandhi when it enters Maharashtra next month, party leaders said here on Wednesday.

While NCP President Sharad Pawar will join the BJY, from the Sena (UBT), ex-minister Aditya Thackeray and other senior leaders are expected to mark their presence though the dates and venue are not yet announced.

A senior Sena-UBT leader, preferring anonymity, told IANS that party chief Uddhav Thackeray is unlikely to take part in the BJY owing to the current political situation here, but will depute a high-level team of leaders to express solidarity with Gandhi and the Congress.

The BJY with Gandhi leading the march on foot with many senior leaders, is slated to enter Maharashtra on November 7 and the party has organised two mega-rallies in Nanded and Buldhana districts.

With Gandhi's public rally scheduled in Nanded and then it will move onto Hingoli, Washim, Akola and Buldhana, where another rally will be held in Shegaon.

The BJY will traverse a total of nearly 382 kms in the five districts in 13 days before entering Madhya Pradesh on the next leg on November 20.

Top central and state Congress leaders like President Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan, Manikrao Thakre, Naseem Khan, and many more are engaged in the meticulous planning and engagements of Gandhi during the BJY in the five districts, where he will directly interact with the local peple.

The three parties - which were part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government for two-and-half years before it collapsed on June 30 - will now come together for the first time through the BJY.

Besides the Congress, NCP and Sena-UBT leaders, the BJY will also see the participation of many other political and farmers groups, prominent individuals from different walks of life, social and non-political entities which will join and march together with Gandhi at various locations during the state sojourn.

--IANS

qn/vd