Rahul Gandhi's Nyay Yatra enters Gujarat amid setbacks to Congress

Jhalod, March 7:  Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' on Thursday entered Gujarat from Rajasthan, greeted warmly by a crowd of enthusiastic supporters and leaders from Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The procession reached Jhalod in Gujarat's Dahod district where the Wayanad MP was met with loud chants.

The Nyay yatra will cover districts, including Dahod, Panchmahal, Chhota Udepur, Bharuch, Tapi, Surat and Navsari, concluding its Gujarat leg in Navagam before moving to Maharashtra on March 10.

Spanning 6,700 km from Manipur to Mumbai, the yatra aims to traverse seven Gujarat districts with significant tribal population.

Over four days, Rahul Gandhi will engage with the people through six and 27 corner meetings, receiving greetings at more than 70 spots.

The welcome committee included Gujarat Congress In-charge Mukul Wasnik, Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil and Opposition leader Amit Chavda.

In a show of unity against the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Gujarat AAP President Isudan Gadhvi and party leader Gopal Italia also joined in welcoming Rahul Gandhi -- this collaboration emphasises the formation of the INDIA bloc, aiming to consolidate opposition parties' efforts in Gujarat.

However, the Congress's momentum faces challenges as the party reels from the resignation of key members, including veteran leader Arjun Modhwadia, who has recently joined the BJP.

This trend continued with Manavadar MLA Arvind Ladani's recent exit from the party, further reducing the Congress's representation in the Gujarat Assembly to just 13 seats from 17 in 2022 and leaving a solitary seat in the critical Saurashtra and Kutch regions.