Bharat Jodo skips Guj, HP to spare poll machinery: Congress

Kanyakumari(TN), Sep 8 (Agency) Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Wednesday said Congress deliberately kept election-bound Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh out of its ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ as it would have impacted their preparations for the polls.Addressing a press conference here, Venugopal said in states through which the Yatra would pass, the entire machinery of the party is working on organising the march. “From today till February end, the entire country will witness Congress leaders on streets with Congress flag,” Venugopal said.”If we go to Gujarat, entire party machinery will be part of this that would effect elections.

That’s why we decided not to go to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh,” he said. Venugopal added that Rahul Gandhi visited the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi in Gujarat ahead of the Yatra, which shows the significance of Gujarat for the party. The Yatra will be launched at a rally at Kanyakumari, and the march will start on Thursday morning. After marching in Tamil Nadu for three days, the Yatra will enter Kerala on September 11. Rahul Gandhi will lead the Yatra throughout. He will, however, go for campaigns in the poll-bound states as well. The Yatra will be halted while Rahul Gandhi goes for campaigns, party leaders said.