Lucknow, Dec 2 (IANS): The Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) of the Congress led by Rahul Gandhi will now spend more time in Uttar Pradesh.

The yatra that is expected to reach Uttar Pradesh in the first week of January, will now pass through Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Saharanpur before moving into Haryana.

"The yatra may have a break in the New Year and enter the state only in the first week of January. Congress general secretary (in-charge UP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, is likely to accompany her brother in UP as well in the coming weeks," a party functionary said.

According to Congress zonal president Anil Yadav, around 10,000 Rajya Yatris will participate in the UP-leg of the yatra.

Earlier, the BJY was scheduled to spend two days in Bulandshahr before moving out.

A contingent of UP Congress leaders is accompanying Rahul Gandhi on his nearly 3,570 km yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. The yatra began in Kanyakumari on September 7.

"We are holding meetings regularly to work out and propose a new route for the yatra. We hope the route for Uttar Pradesh will be approved in the coming days," a senior party leader said.

The Congress leaders want to invite some prominent farmer leaders to join Rahul Gandhi during the yatra in Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier, the schedule of Rahul Gandhi's Yatra in Uttar Pradesh was only for two days and was to travel to Bulandshahr before entering Haryana.