'Uttar Pradesh Jodo Yatra' to begin on December 20: Congress leader Ajai Rai

New Delhi [India], December 19 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Monday announced that the grand old party will begin the Uttar Pradesh Jodo Yatra on December 20.
After the meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Congress chaired by Mallikarjun Kharge at party headquarters for preparation of the Loksabha election, Rai said that the Uttar Pradesh Congress will begin the Uttar Pradesh Jodo Yatra' on December 20.
"We have said that the central leadership should pay attention to Uttar Pradesh and we have also said that Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should contest from Uttar Pradesh," Ajay Rai said.
The announcement comes at a time when the country is gearing up for the Lok Sabha polls, due in 2024 and after losing the Hindi heartland of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in recently concluded state assembly elections.
"Discussions were held regarding the preparations of the Congress party for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. We will strengthen the party across the country..." he added.
The Congress brass, earlier this month, held meetings to analyse its abysmal performance in the recently concluded assembly polls.
Speaking on alliances in the state, "The state unit has left it entirely up to the central leadership. They have to decide it."
Rai said that the Congress party will strengthen across the country and discuss alliances in the state. Speaking on seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh, he said, "It will be decided by the national leadership...The doors (to alliance) are open. The INDIA Alliance is in place."
The INDIA bloc is a group of opposition parties, including Congress, united to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, the Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge, said that progressive and democratic forces have to be united.
"An important meeting was held today with senior leaders of Congress to strengthen the organization and party in Uttar Pradesh. In the coming Lok Sabha elections, we have to take the voices of the poor, farmers, women and youth to every home of Uttar Pradesh. Also, progressive and democratic forces have to be united. Public issues are first for us. We will continue to expose the anti-people policies of BJP on the ground," Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X.
Ahead of the INDIA bloc meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that INDIA bloc's meeting scheduled for tomorrow will be an opportunity to discuss the seat-sharing formula among the Opposition parties, with just months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The fourth meeting of the Opposition's grand alliance is slated to take place tomorrow in the national capital, during which seat-sharing discussions are likely to be on the agenda of various parties.
The first meeting of the joint opposition convened in Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. The third meeting happened in Mumbai on August 31-September 1. (ANI)