After six days in Punjab, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra on Wednesday entered Himachal Pradesh where Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and state party President Pratibha Singh, among other party leaders, welcomed the day-long leg of the march in the state.
The flag handover ceremony was held on the border village of Ghatota in the hill state.
On entering the state, Rahul Gandhi said: "You had asked that yatra should pass through Himachal Pradesh. We changed the entire route.
"We gave little time to Himachal Pradesh, only one day, more time should have been given." He added the yatra has to reach Srinagar on January 30, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Pratibha Singh told the senior Congress leader that she had assured during a meeting in Delhi before the Assembly elections that "Himachal Pradesh aapki jholi mein aayega (Congress will win Himachal Pradesh elections)".
"The beginning has been made in Dev Bhoomi and similarly we will hoist the Congress flag in every state," she added.
Meets Kanshi Ram's sister
Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in his Punjab leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, met BSP founder Kanshi Ram's sister Swaran Kaur along with Lakhbir Singh of the Kanshi Ram foundation on Monday.
The meet is significant as Mayawati and Kanshi Ram's family do not share good relationship so the Congress may be eyeing the legacy of Kanshi Ram. The Congress had invited Mayawati to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra but no one from the BSP turned up for it.
Mayawati on Sunday announced that her party would not forge alliance with any party in the Assembly elections due in 2023 and then the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
(With inputs from IANS)
