As Rajan and Gandhi walked at the head of the march, accompanied by a security detail, their followers waved the national flag of India.
The march – known in Hindi as “Bharat Jodo Yatra” or Connect India March – began in the south of India, and is garnering a better-than-expected response from the public.
“Freedom is the essence of democracy and harmony is the foundation of a prosperous economy,” Gandhi, who has grown a thick beard since the march began, posted a picture of himself walking alongside a laughing Rajan on Twitter. “We walk for unity and to secure India’s future.”
Gandhi resigned as Congress president in 2019 after his party was trounced by the BJP in the last election. The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has controlled the Congress party for decades, but has also overseen its recent decline.