The Congress party in Uttar Pradesh is launching a ‘U.P. Jodo Yatra’ from December 20, on the same lines as its earlier Bharat Jodo Yatra, in a bid to regain its lost ground and reach out to districts in the western part of the State which have sizeable Muslim electorates.
The Yatra will starting from Saharanpur on Wednesday, and end in Lucknow around the second week of January, having covered 11 districts and 15 parliamentary constituencies. The route is being seen as a major outreach towards the Muslim community as seven out of the 11 districts — Moradabad, Bareilly, Bijnor, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Amroha, and Rampur — have high Muslim populations. In fact, Muslims make up more than 35% of the population in each of these districts, which together account for ten parliamentary seats.
“It is true that majority of districts through which the Yatra will pass consists of large Muslim population, and on course of our Yatra, we will meet and hear their grievances as they are also equal citizens,” Anil Yadav, U.P. Congress general secretary told The Hindu.
