Prominent Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders joined the Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' of the Congress here this afternoon on the fourth day of its Maharashtra leg.
State NCP chief Jayant Patil, Baramati MP Supriya Sule and party leader Jitendra Awhad joined Rahul Gandhi after he resumed his foot march from Deglur Naka.
The security personnel of Rahul Gandhi are facing a tough time handling the crowd. The Congress leader stopped several times along the route to greet people. He shook hands with the waiting crowd and also clicked photos with children.
Gandhi is scheduled to address a public rally in Nanded city this evening, where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with the NCP leaders will be present.
The Congress and NCP had shared power for 15 years in Maharashtra from 1999 to 2014. The two parties were also allies in the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government that was in power from November 2019 till June 29 this year when it collapsed following a revolt within the Shiv Sena.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered Maharashtra on Monday night, will cover Nanded city, Deglur and Ardhapur areas and proceed to Hingoli on Friday. The yatra, a mass contact initiative of the Congress, will cover a distance of 3,750 km before concluding in Srinagar in January 2023.
