Biramitrapur, a small industrial town in Sundergarh district through which the yatra will enter the state from Jharkhand, has been adorned with banners, cut-outs and hoardings of Gandhi.
Senior state Congress leaders have gathered in Rourkela steel city, around 35 km from Biramitrapur, and there is a palpable enthusiasm among the people to see Rahul Gandhi, who is known as “former PM Indira Gandhi’s grandson” by locals, said the party’s Sundergarh district president Rashmi Padhee.
Although the Biramitrapur assembly seat is now represented by the BJP, it had previously elected Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha candidates.
Gandhi is expected to arrive in Biramitrapur in the afternoon.
After being warmly welcomed, the state Congress will take charge of the yatra. It will travel around 10 km before staying the night in the Bija Bahal area.
The next day, Gandhi will continue his yatra and embark on a 3.4-km-long walk from Uditnagar to Panposh Chhak in Rourkela city, according to a Congress statement.
He is planned to address the public at Panposh Chhak, before taking a lunch break at Bisra Munda Ground at Ranibandh, it said.
After that, he will resume his yatra from Ranibandh and hold a rally in Rajgangpur.
He will then walk in Sundergarh town, followed by another public meeting, before retiring for the night at Amlipali Ground in Jharsuguda.
On February 8, Gandhi will continue his yatra from Old Bus Stand in Jharsuguda and later hold a rally. After lunch, he will continue the yatra from Kanaktora in Jharsuguda and then enter Chhattisgarh.
In Odisha, the yatra will cover around 200 km in the two western districts of Sundergarh and Jharsuguda.
The yatra, which began in Manipur on January 14, will conclude in Mumbai on March 20, covering about 15 states.