Congress should have started Bharat Jodo Yatra from Gujarat to challenge BJP in 2024 LS polls: AIUDF MLA

Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) called the Congress party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' a "flop show" adding that the march should have been started from Gujarat where the BJP has a strong base so as to make a dent to the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

AIUDF MLA and party General Secretary Karim Uddin Barbhuiya told ANI, "It has now become a flop show. When the Congress party announced the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', I was very happy because the oldest party in the country has taken up a programme against the BJP. When the Congress party declared the roadmap of the yatra which will cover the 12 states, I was surprised. They started the programme from Kerala, is there any stronghold of the BJP in Kerala? They should have gone to Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other parts where BJP has a strong base. But they have chosen the states where alliance partners are there," he said.

The AIUDF MLA further said that the route of the Bharat Jodo Yatra mission has contradicted the Congress's mission.

"Now the question has raised that, is it against the BJP or has it taken up in favour of BJP. There are maximum of 20 BJP MPs in these 12 States and now Congress will cover these states under its 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. If the Congress party actually wants to fight against BJP, they should have started this yatra from Gujarat. Why the Congress party has chosen only this route, what was the reason, who finalized this route? In which route Rahul Gandhi has been leading this yatra, there will be no loss for BJP," Barbhuiya said.

He said that the secular forces UPA partners will face problems for this and it will also reflect in Assam.

On the other hand, the AIUDF MLA has challenged that in 2024 Congress will not be able to win a single seat in Assam alleging that Assam Congress is in touch and associated with BJP.

"In 2024 Lok Sabha polls, out of 14 Congress' number will be zero in Assam. I challenge that, Congress's number will be zero in Assam in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. There is no leadership in Assam Congress and all are in touch with BJP. The Congress MLAs of Assam had voted in favour of the NDA candidate in the presidential election. But the Assam Congress leadership hasn't been able to find out its MLAs who voted in favour of the NDA candidate in the presidential election. The APCC president, Congress Legislative Party leader, Jitendra Singh had made a declaration that they will take action against those party MLAs but there is no action so far," the AIUDF MLA said.

Meanwhile, Bharat Jodo Yatra will now resume from Kerala's Kollam on Friday after a one-day break on September 15.

The yatra completed its seventh day on Wednesday which was started from Navayikkulam in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.

The Yatra is in its Kerala leg and would traverse through the state for the next 17 days.

The 3,500-km march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir will be completed in 150 days and cover as many as 12 states. From Kerala, the Yatra will traverse through the state for the next 18 days, reaching Karnataka on September 30. It will be in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north. The Padyatra (march) will cover a distance of 25 km every day.

Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the spirit of the Bharat Jodo Yatra is to bring Indians together irrespective of religion, community and remind them that this is one country and it will be successful if we stand together and are respectful towards each other.

(ANI)

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