Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) will flag off a two-day padyatra titled ‘Gandhi Pathe Chalo’ from the Motu border in Malkangiri district on October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti).
The announcement was made by OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das on Tuesday.
Initially conceptualised as a year-long march, the padyatra has been shortened due to the upcoming Nuapada by-election, Das informed.
“We had planned to undertake the padyatra throughout the year starting October 2. However, due to the by-election in Nuapada, it will now be held for two days. Covering 20 km per day, the march will conclude on the evening of October 3 in Malkangiri town,” he said.
Das added that senior PCC members, office bearers, and District Congress Committee members have been invited to join the march. “Once the by-election is over—likely in November—the full-fledged padyatra will resume,” he noted.
The padyatra aims to raise awareness about security issues in Odisha’s border regions and highlight the challenges faced by people living in these areas.
“Our objective is to bring attention to the ground realities in border districts and ensure justice for all. That is why we have chosen the theme ‘Gandhi Pathe Chalo’—to follow the path of Mahatma Gandhi and stand up for the rights of the people,” Das told reporters.
The initiative is part of a broader outreach effort by the Congress party ahead of the upcoming elections.
