Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav joins Rahul Gandhi’s yatra, giving the INDIA bloc a boost

Chief of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Akhilesh Yadav, gave the INDIA bloc new life when he joined Congressman Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Agra. The India bloc had been facing difficulties and defections in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

After the recent desertion of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary, Akhilesh’s support for the yatra has become a significant rallying point for the INDIA bloc partners, especially in Jat and Muslim-dominated western Uttar Pradesh, with both the SP and the Congress recently announcing seat-sharing arrangements for Uttar Pradesh.

Akhilesh emphasized the need of love and togetherness in the nation, drawing a contrast with the politics of hate. He remarked, “I welcome Congress leaders and all workers of both parties to the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.” He said that the BJP was ignoring the issues of young people and farmers. “Desh bachao, BJP hatao” (remove BJP, rescue the nation). Farmers are now resisting the government, and the administration is afraid of their might. The INDIA coalition government would treat farmers with dignity if the BJP is ousted, he continued.

The Congress and SP workers welcomed Rahul Gandhi’s yatra, which was accompanied by Congress national secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The leaders exhorted the populace to oppose the BJP in power by banding together behind the INDIA coalition.

Rahul Gandhi said, “The greatest fight that the INDIA bloc is currently engaged in is against the hatred and disharmony that the BJP is spreading.” He emphasized that the underprivileged groups, such as Dalits, minorities, and adivasis, experience marginalization and underrepresentation in a number of sectors while making up almost 90% of the population. “We have added the word justice to our journey because if you are poor, you will face injustice in this country; injustice is the root of hatred,” he said.

Rahul reaffirmed the INDIA bloc’s commitment to provide the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops legal validity in response to the protests of the farmers. He blasted the Modi administration for not giving the MSP legal status and promised that, if they came to power, they would give the matter top priority. Akhilesh Yadav and other SP leaders were earlier welcomed to the Yatra by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.