Congress’s Bengal yatra from Dec 28 to Jan 23

The Congress Party in West Bengal is gearing up to launch its much-awaited month-long programme, an extension of the party’s ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra that aims to cover 12 states between Kanyakumari and Jammu & Kashmir.

A state representative of the party talking to DH said that the Bengal programme is scheduled to commence next week on December 28 and will take a south-north route. The yatra will begin at Gangasagar in south Bengal and conclude at Kurseong in north Bengal’s Darjeeling on January 23.

Besides state leaders, the participation of central leaders is also expected in the Bengal yatra, which has been named 'Sagar Theke Pahar' (from the sea to the mountain). The list of national leaders from other states is yet to be finalised.

While the national yatra — led by party leader Rahul Gandhi focuses on issues of national concern, the Bengal walk will consider issues specific to the region, namely, unemployment and corruption. The state is set to have rural polls next year, and it’s expected that the yatra could offer some impact on voters, too.

Party MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Pradip Bhattacharya, also the coordinator for the yatra in the region, are expected to inaugurate the programme at Gangasagar.

“We will have 200-300 permanent participants. From the districts, more participants will add up. We expect thousands of supporters and common people to turn up,” Soumya Aich Roy, Congress leader and spokesperson, said.

The Bengal yatra is expected to cover over 750 km. Unlike the national yatra, where intensive arrangements are available for halts, the yatra in Bengal will have to be done with night stay in tents, school buildings, dharmashalas, and other places on the way.

Roy said that many old-time Congress supporters who shifted allegiance to other political outfits would have an opportunity to think. "The party’s doors are open for them," he said. The Congress invitation is open to other political parties that can sync with the idea of the yatra, including the Left.

The yatra covers South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Malda, Dinajpur, and Darjeeling. On the 6th day, the yatra will cover Kolkata on January 2.