Congress Leader Digvijaya Singh Starts 930‑km Yatra from Ujjain to Ayodhya

Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh has begun a 930‑km, 70‑day foot march from Ujjain to Ayodhya, framing it as a religious yatra but clearly targeting BJP strongholds. ## What Happened The Satya Sanatan Swabhiman Yatra started in Ujjain, a BJP bastion, and will pass through Tarana, Shajapur, Sarangpur, Rajgarh, Chachoura, Ashoknagar, Chanderi and Orchha in Madhya Pradesh before entering Uttar Pradesh. In MP the route cuts across the Guna‑Shivpuri belt linked to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who won the Guna Lok Sabha seat in 2024, and includes a stop at the Ram Raja temple in Orchha. The UP leg moves through parts of Bundelkhand, then Kanpur Dehat, Lucknow Dehat, Barabanki and ends at Ayodhya. Singh, 79, has demanded a probe into alleged irregularities in donations collected for the Ayodhya Ram temple, a demand that a senior Congress functionary says puts the BJP on the defensive. Organisers say the march enjoys backing from Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and Swami Sadanand Saraswati. ## Reaction BJP leaders have dismissed the yatra and questioned Singh’s religious credentials. MP minister Vishwas Sarang accused Singh of insulting Hindus and devotees, while BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma claimed the march aims to defame Sanatan Dharma and please Rahul Gandhi. A senior Congress functionary noted that the issue may resonate with religious leaders who feel ignored by the BJP. ## What’s Next The yatra is seen as a bid to revive Congress’s organisation in Madhya Pradesh after its 2023 defeat, where it won 66 of 230 seats against the BJP’s 163, and to boost its visibility in Uttar Pradesh where it is a junior partner of the Samajwadi Party ahead of the 2027 assembly polls. ## Context The march mirrors Singh’s earlier 3,300‑km Narmada Parikrama (2017‑18), which he described as a spiritual journey; this time the political stakes are higher as Congress seeks to reconnect with Hindu voters and strengthen its bargaining power within the SP alliance.