Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati have congratulated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his Bharat Jodo Yatra, which enters Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

The two leaders – both former Chief Ministers –  acknowledged   that they had received invitations to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra but they did not mention their intentions in joining it.

Akhilesh Yadav in a letter sent to Rahul Gandhi said: “Dear Rahul ji, thank you for the invitation to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra and best wishes for the success of Bharat Jodo campaign.”

Yadav further wrote: “India is a feeling more than a geographical extension, in which love, non-violence, compassion, cooperation and harmony are the only positive elements that unite India. Hope this Yatra will achieve its goal with the aim of preserving this inclusive culture of our country.”

On December 29 last year, while talking to media persons, Akhilesh Yadav had said that he will not participate in the Bharat Jodo Yatra as he has not received any invitation from Rahul Gandhi.

On the other hand, BSP president Mayawati in a tweet on Monday said: “Best wishes for the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and thanks to Shri Rahul Gandhi for the letter requesting me to join this journey.”

Another opposition political outfit RLD chief Jayant Choudhury has already announced that he would not be able to join this Yatra due to his preoccupation.

Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra will be in UP for three days from tomorrow. The Yatra in UP will cover around 130-km touching 11 assembly segments, in which the Congress performed badly in the 2022 assembly polls.

The Yatra will start from Marghat Hanuman Mandir, Jamuna Bazar, Kashmiri Gate in Delhi at 10 hours on Tuesday and will enter UP at Gokulpuri Delhi-UP Border, Loni, Ghaziabad at around 12 hours.

The Yatra will make a night halt at Hari Castle, Mavi Kala, Baghpat and will resume the Yatra on the second day (Wednesday) at 0600 hrs. The night halt will be at Ailum, Shamli.

On Thursday, the Yatra will resume from Ailum village, Shamli and will reach UP-Haryana border, Sanoli Police Station, Panipat at 1830 hrs.