"I've been formally invited to join @RahulGandhi ji for his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kashmir today. Salute his indomitable courage and I believe it is my duty to stand with someone who has the courage to challenge fascist forces. Will be joining him in his march towards a better India," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said in a tweet.
Leaders of the National Conference (NC) in Kashmir including its President Farooq Abdullah are also expected to join the yatra.
The decision of the PDP leader came at a time when the Bharat Jodo Yatra is not attracting regional support in states like Uttar Pradesh (UP) where Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav is unlikely to attend the yatra.
"The schedule of SP president Akhilesh Yadav related to party programs has already been decided and he is unlikely to attend the yatra," SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary told news agency PTI.
Another important regional party of the state, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary will also keep himself away from the yatra and has cited "preoccupation" with their party programs, according to the leaders of the party.
RLD chief spokesman Anil Dubey said, "I do not think that Jayantji will be going for the yatra."
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is still waiting for the invitation to join the yatra and any decision on the matter will be taken by the party President Mayawati, a senior leader from the party informed.
BSP MP Shyam Singh Yadav joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Delhi and walked alongside Rahul Gandhi, "but in what capacity is not known", the leader said.
SBSP president Om Prakash Rajbhar has received a call from Salman Khurshid but has yet to get a formal letter of invitation. "We will decide the matter after talking to party members by December 30 whether to participate in it or not," Rajbhar said.
Senior BJP leader and former deputy Chief Minister of UP, Dinesh Sharma has also received the invitation in his capacity as a professor at Lucknow University. "I exhort the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to contribute to Narendra Modi's 'Bharat Jodo" campaign," Sharma told the news agency PTI.
