8 years ago
Deoria, Uttar Pradesh:
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi set out on a 2,500 km-long march from Uttar Pradesh's Deoria today, meeting farmers, in hopes of reviving the party in the politically important state.
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It was the khatiyas or cots that were most in demand at Rahul Gandhi's "khaat sabha" in a village in east Uttar Pradesh today."
Arrived in Rudrapur to a warm welcome&grt enthusiasm.Join @INCIndia on this Kisan Yatra as we fight for rights of farmers,labourers&the poor
- Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) September 6, 2016
Hans Kumar Singh, a farmer in Deoria was the first person Rahul Gandhi met on the Yatra. The Congress leader is collecting a charter of demands from the farmers on the way.
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Rahul Gandhi has reached Deoria in Uttar Pradesh. The Kisan Yatra has started.
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And this is how they look. 2,500 cots, all laid out in Rudrapur of Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh for a Khaat Sabha. Read here.
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Cots being assembled for a 'Khat Sabha'. Congress hopes to woo the vote of the Hindi heartland through these meetings modelled along the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Chai Pe Charcha campaign.
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This is what Deoria to Delhi Kisan Yatra schedule looks like for Day 1.
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With less than three hours to go, clouds hang over Rahul Gandhi's plans for a crisp start to the day. It is pouring in Deoria, reports NDTV's Alok Pandey.
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On the first two days, Mr Gandhi will cover Kushinagar, Gorakhpur, Sant Kabirnagar and Basti besides Deoria.
The 'Deoria to Delhi yatra' will start from Panchlari Kritpura village and see a door-to-door campaign of collecting 'Kisan Mangpatras' (charters of farmers demands), one-to-one interaction with farmers through Khaat (cot) Sabhas, a concept similar to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Chai pe Charcha' during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, and roadside meetings.
"My yatra from Deoria to Delhi starting September 6 is a campaign to secure the rights of the poor, farmers and labourers in government resources," Mr Gandhi's office has said in a tweet.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will set out on a 2,500 km-long march from Uttar Pradesh's Deoria today, meeting farmers, in hopes of reviving the party in the politically important state.