Rourkela: Odisha Congress leaders are making final preparations for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, which will enter the state Tuesday. Biramitrapur, a small industrial town in Sundergarh district through which the yatra will enter the state from Jharkhand, has been decked up with banners, cut-outs, and hoardings of Gandhi. Senior state Congress leaders have gathered in Rourkela steel city, around 35 km from Biramitrapur, and there is a palpable enthusiasm among the masses to have a glimpse of Rahul Gandhi, who is referred to as ‘former PM Indira Gandhi’s grandson’ by locals, Sundargarh District Congress Committee president Rashmi Padhee said.
Although Biramitrapur assembly segment is now represented by the BJP, it had earlier elected Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha candidates. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattnayak told reporters that Gandhi is expected to reach Biramitrapur Tuesday afternoon. After according a grand welcome to Gandhi, the OPCC will flag off the yatra in the state. The yatra will move for around 10 km before Gandhi’s night halt in Bija Bahal area. The next day, Gandhi will resume his yatra and undertake a 3.4-km-long padayatra from Uditnagar to Panposh Chhak in Rourkela city, a Congress statement said. He is scheduled to address the public at Panposh Chhak, before taking a lunch break at Bisra Munda Ground at Ranibandh, it said.
According to his schedule, thereafter he will resume his yatra from Ranibandh and address a rally at Rajgangpur. He will undertake another padayatra in Sundargarh town, following which he will address another public meeting, before retiring for the night at Amlipali Ground in Jharsuguda. February 8, Gandhi will resume his yatra from Old Bus Stand in Jharsuguda and later address a rally.
