Cooch Behar: In the midst of a political upheaval in West Bengal, Rahul Gandhi, leading the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, made a significant entry into the state on Thursday. This comes just a day after Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress severed ties with the Congress party, one of its INDI bloc allies, a move impacting the dynamics of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Welcomed by the state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury, Rahul Gandhi's arrival in West Bengal through Bakshirhat in Cooch Behar district was met with protests from Trinamool Congress supporters, who displayed placards expressing their opposition to outsider interference.

The placards, held by the protesting Trinamool Congress supporters, conveyed a clear message: "Didi is enough here, there is no need for outsiders."

Rahul Gandhi, undeterred by the protests, addressed the gathering, expressing his happiness to be in West Bengal. He stated, "We have come here to listen to you and stand with you...BJP-RSS are spreading hatred, violence and injustice. So, INDIA formation is going to fight 'Anyay' together."

Following the symbolic handover of the flag, the Yatra is set to proceed towards Khagrabari Chowk in Cooch Behar district, where Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address a public meeting.

The Yatra's route includes Tufanganj and Cooch Behar town, with Rahul Gandhi planning a padayatra from Maa Bhawani Chowk in Cooch Behar. The journey will continue by bus at Gokshadanga, eventually reaching Falakata in Alipurduar district for an overnight halt.

After a brief hiatus on January 26-27, the Yatra will resume, covering Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Uttar Dinajpur, and Darjeeling districts before entering Bihar on January 29.

Re-entering West Bengal on January 31 via Malda, the Yatra will pass through Congress stronghold districts of Murshidabad, among others, before concluding its journey out of the state on February 1.

Spanning 523 km across six districts and six Lok Sabha constituencies, the Bengal leg of the Yatra holds significant political implications, especially amid the recent fallout between Trinamool Congress and Congress in the state.

This marks Rahul Gandhi's first visit to West Bengal since the April-May 2021 assembly polls. The Yatra, initiated in Manipur on January 14, aims to cover 6,713 km in 67 days, passing through 110 districts in 15 states before culminating in Mumbai on March 20.

While the CPI (M) and Left parties, Congress allies within the state and the INDIA bloc at the national level, are expected to join the march, the Trinamool Congress has decided to abstain, citing a lack of information about the Yatra.