Akhilesh Yadav participates in Rahul Gandhi's yatra post seat-sharing deal

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav finally joined the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, led by Rahul Gandhi. This participation follows the recent agreement between the Congress and Samajwadi Party regarding seat-sharing talks in Uttar Pradesh. 

Akhilesh Yadav had previously refrained from joining the yatra until the seat-sharing arrangement with Congress was confirmed.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi extended a warm welcome to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Agra on Sunday, declaring it a joyous occasion. 

The trio, consisting of Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav, addressed the enthusiastic crowd, showcasing a united front for the upcoming elections.

Akhilesh Yadav said, "In the coming days, the biggest challenge is to save democracy, and the Constitution, to fulfil the dreams of Dr BR Ambedkar, that have been ruined by the BJP... Today, there is only one message to be given -- 'BJP haatao, desh ko bachao, sankat mitao' (Remove BJP, save the country and end the crisis)."

Expressing optimism, he mentioned that he anticipates collaborative efforts from the INDIA bloc and PDA (pichre, Dalit, and alpashankhak) to counter and overcome the BJP-led NDA in the forthcoming days.

While addressing the public in Agra during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “It's been a year since we completed the Bharat Jodo Yatra and walked 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. During that yatra, a person told me that 'you are trying to open a Mohabbat Ki Dukan in Nafrat Ka Bazaar. Now, this is what we, along with Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, are trying to do again."

Prior to reaching Agra, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, traversed through the Aligarh division, covering routes via Amroha, Sambhal, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, and Hathras. The presence of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was marked as she joined the yatra in Aligarh.

Rahul Gandhi's padayatra commenced in Manipur on January 14 and is scheduled to conclude in Mumbai on March 20. This marks the second edition of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the first being conducted from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in the 2022-23 period.