Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge joins Bharat Jodo Yatra in Hyderabad

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra here on Tuesday, the first time he did so after taking on the party president's mantle.

Kharge, who arrived here in the afternoon, joined the Yatra at its final destination for the day at the Indira Gandhi statue on Necklace Road where a street corner meeting was held.

Gandhi, along with other leaders, party workers and a crowd of supporters who had joined him from the Charminar where he unfurled the national flag, reached Necklace Road. Minutes later, Kharge joined him on stage and the two leaders hugged each other as supporters cheered on.

The corner meeting saw a huge crowd and screens were put up so that those who were unable to reach close to the stage could watch the event from afar.

The last time Kharge participated in the Yatra was on October 16 in Karnataka's Bellary. He had joined Gandhi in Bellary for the Yatra and later addressed a public meeting there.

On October 17, polling was held for the post of Congress president between Kharge and Shashi Tharoor in which the former came out victorious.

The march on Tuesday resumed from Matha Temple in Shamshabad and halted at the Legacy Palace at Bahadurpura in Hyderabad for an afternoon break.

The Yatra's night halt will be at Gandhi Ideology Center in Bowenpally.