Bharat Jodo Yatra: Sharad Pawar to skip, Aaditya Thackeray to join

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar will not join the Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra due to health issues, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday.

Addressing media persons here, Ramesh said Pawar (81) had earlier agreed to participate in the foot march.

''He was recently hospitalised and considering doctor's advice for rest, he will not join (the yatra),'' said Ramesh, the general secretary (communications) of the All India Congress Committee.

Pawar's daughter and NCP Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule, state party president Jayant Patil and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad reached Maharashtra's Nanded district on Thursday to join Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the foot march from Deglur Naka and to attend the latter's public rally in the evening.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge will also attend the rally.

Ramesh said Rahul Gandhi had spoken to Pawar when he was in hospital.

''Even though Pawar had agreed to join the yatra, he is unable to come due to doctor's advice for rest," the Congress leader said.

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Shiv Sena leader and former state minister Aaditya Thackeray will join the yatra on Friday, he said.