On September 7, a foot march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir was started in an effort to boost Congress’s waning electoral prospects. After a one-day hiatus on September 15, the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra will now begin from Kollam in Kerala on Friday. Congress leader Jairam said on Wednesday that the Padyatra will resume on Friday. On Wednesday, the yatra, which had its beginnings in Navayikkulam in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, concluded its seventh day.

Rahul Gandhi engaged in conversation with schoolchildren in the Kollam district on the seventh day at Chathannur: “As we conclude the first week of #BharatJodoYatra today, with the distance covered and souls we connected with, our commitment grew stronger, our goal became clearer, and our family grew larger. This is the power of truth; the power of oneness,” the Congress stated.

Rahul Gandhi visited the Sivagiri mutt in Kerala to pay his respects to social reformer Sree Narayana Guru before beginning the march from there. The Yatra is currently in Kerala and will continue around the region for the next 17 days. The 3,500 km march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir will take 150 days to complete and pass through up to 12 states.

The Yatra will depart from Kerala and travel through the state for the following 18 days before arriving in Karnataka on September 30. Before travelling further north, it will spend 21 days in Karnataka. Every day, the Padyatra (march) will travel 25 kilometres. Rahul Gandhi stated on Tuesday that the goal of the Bharat Jodo Yatra is to unite Indians, regardless of religion or community, and to serve as a reminder that we are all citizens of the same country and that we will only succeed if we work as a team and treat one another with respect.