Bharat Jodo Yatra enters 14th day, Rahul Gandhi begins day with floral tributes to Sree Narayana Guru

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi meets Peruvanam Kuttan Marar and his team during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Alappuzha, Tuesday. Pic/PTI

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi along with party leaders resumed the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kochi as the march entered its 14th day on Wednesday.

The leaders, who camped in the Kochi district, started the yatra at 6.45 am from Madavana from where the leaders will walk 13 km in the morning till Edapally.

Gandhi started his day by paying tributes to spiritual leader Sree Narayana Guru.

"An inspiring start to the day. Offered my tributes to the great spiritual leader, philosopher and social reformer, Sree Narayana Guru whose teachings of equality are key to the idea of #BharatJodoYatra," Gandhi tweeted.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi kick-starts 13th day of Bharat Jodo Yatra, 225 km covered so far

Party's Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh informed that Sachin Pilot joined the yatra today.

"Day 14 of #BharatJodoYatra started with @RahulGandhi paying floral tributes to Sree Narayana Guru. The padayatra started at 6:45am from Madavana and the Yatris will be walking 13 kms in the morning till Edapally. @SachinPilot joined the Yatra today," Ramesh tweeted.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party workers, followers and masses will be in the southern state of Kerala for 18 days.

The Yatra is in its Kerala leg and would traverse through the state in the upcoming 11 days.

The 3,500-km march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir will be completed in 150 days and cover as many as 12 states. From Kerala, the Yatra will traverse through the state for the next 18 days, reaching Karnataka on September 30. It will be in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north. The Padyatra (march) will cover a distance of 25 km every day.

Earlier on Monday Congress MP Rahul Gandhi participated in a snake boat race exhibition in the Punnamada lake in Kerala.

Rahul Gandhi was seen rowing the boat along with other men and had a smile at the end as he wiped his face.

Gandhi took to Twitter and said, "When we all work together in perfect harmony, there is nothing we cannot accomplish".

Meanwhile, Gandhi is unlikely to contest the party's presidential elections, said sources on Tuesday.

Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi will not return to Delhi leaving the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra. Presently, the yatra is in Kerala and will enter Karnataka on September 29. The last date for filing nominations is September 30.

Earlier on Tuesday, Congress leader KC Venugopal, who is participating in the Kerala leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, arrived in the national capital upon a call by the party's interim president Sonia Gandhi.

According to sources close to Venugopal, he was asked by Sonia Gandhi to come over to Delhi for a meeting which is "strictly part of organisational matters".