On Tuesday (November 8), Congress leader Krishna Kumar Pandey passed away while participating in the Maharashtra leg of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra.’ Pandey, who was 75, was the general secretary of the Congress Seva Dal.
The development was confirmed by veteran party leader Jairam Ramesh. In a tweet, he wrote, “This 62nd morning of Bharat Jodo Yatra, Krishna Kumar Pandey, General Secretary of Seva Dal was holding the national flag and walking with Digvijaya Singh & me.”
“After a few minutes, as is the practice, he handed the flag to a colleague and moved back. Thereafter he collapsed and was taken in an ambulance to a hospital where most sadly he was declared dead,” he further added.
…and was taken in an ambulance to a hospital where most sadly he was declared dead. He was a staunch Congressman and used to take on the RSS in Nagpur. It is a most humbling moment for all the Yatris. pic.twitter.com/JrtmSJ13oj
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 8, 2022
Jairam Ramesh used the opportunity to recall that the deceased Congressman used to take on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur “…Krishna Kumar Pandey was a staunch Congressman and used to take on the RSS in Nagpur. It is a most humbling moment for all the Yatris,” he tweeted.
In visuals shared by him, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi was seen paying tribute to Pandey in Atkali village in the Nanded district of Maharashtra. The body of the deceased leader was seen draped in a Congress flag.
This is probably Krishna Kumar Pandey’s last photograph… walking with a smile holding the national flag high with the Seva Dal on the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Salute! pic.twitter.com/jk3xK8ARcC
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 8, 2022
Jairam Ramesh also shared a picture where Krishna Kumar Pandey was seen marching with the Indian National flag. “This is probably Krishna Kumar Pandey’s last photograph… walking with a smile holding the national flag high with the Seva Dal on the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Salute!” he wrote.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, the Congress party is fighting for its survival through the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. Having steadily lost relevance among the electorates under the leadership of the Gandhi family, the grand old party is making a last-ditch effort to turn its political fortunes.
Congress kickstarted its 3,570-km march under this yatra from Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7, 2022. The march will last over 5 months and will cover 12 States before terminating at Srinagar.
Rahul Gandhi and 118 other Congress leaders are walking 22-23 km daily in two batches, one from 7 am – 10:30 am and again from 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm. The party is hoping to mobilise the masses during its evening sessions.
The ‘foot march’ is also accompanied by a convoy of 59 containers, which are colour coded as per the availability of beds. The Congress leaders sleep in these containers, which are mounted on trucks. They camp on the roadsides, eat food made by the cooking staff and get clean laundry once every 3 days.
