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Rahul Gandhi to embark on month-long marathon walk in India

Xinhua, September 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

India's Nehru-Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi said he will embark on a marathon walk from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh to Delhi next week for rights of the poor.

Gandhi, the second-in-command of India's main opposition Congress party, took to social media to announce his 2,500-km marathon walk from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.

"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," he tweeted on Saturday.

During his journey, Gandhi has indicated that he will conduct door-to-door campaign and one-to-one interactions with farmers and also hold several roadshows, covering over 200 assembly constituencies.

Uttar Pradesh, the politically crucial state, goes to polls early next year, and Gandhi's yatra is aimed at giving the Congress party some foothold there.

Both Congress and India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party are trying to get some footing in the state, currently ruled by regional Samajwadi Party with Bahujan Samaj Party being the main opposition. Endit