Covering the rugged landscape of 104 km on his motorbike, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi reached Kargil on Thursday afternoon on the last leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra in the cold desert region of Ladakh.

He halted at the ancient Lamayuru Buddhist monastery last evening before setting off for his onward biking this morning.

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The Congress leader received a warm reception on his arrival at Kargil where he is scheduled to address a public meeting on Friday.

Enroute to Kargil, he stopped at several places to meet native Ladakhis who lined up to have a glimpse of their leader with Ladakhi musicians playing their traditional instruments in his welcome.

Rahul met village children and Army and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) troops in a camp enroute.

In a photo with a Ladakhi child, he wrote on his social media account; “On our frontiers stand the brave children of Bharat Mata – ready to take on any challenge for her sake. A look into their eyes, a heartfelt conversation, or a glimpse into their lives is enough to leave you inspired for a lifetime”.

Rahul had reached Leh on 17 August on a twoday visit which he later extended till 25 August. On his way to Kargil, Rahul interacted with people at many places in the Zanskar Valley.

Earlier, Rahul interacted with a delegation of the Sham region led by Azang Jora.

Later during the evening, Rahul will meet the youth of Kargil.

He will address a rally on 25 August in support of Congress candidates for the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil for which elections are scheduled to be held on 10 September. The Congress and National Conference (NC) are sharing some seats by fielding common candidates against the BJP.

Rahul has undertaken the Ladakh leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra on motorbike with stops at several places to meet the people.

Rahul earlier wrote in Leh; “Bharat Jodo is deeply rooted in every Indian’s heart and mind. The resonating chant of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ echoing through the streets of Leh serves as a strong example of this unity. No power can suppress this voice, brimming with affection and camaraderie”.