Lucknow, March 16 (IANS): The 'Nadi Adhikar Yatra' being taken out by the UP Congress, reached Ghazipur on its 16th day on Tuesday.

The yatra began on March 1 from Banswar in Prayagraj and will culminate in Manjighat in Ballia on March 20.

The yatra that has covered 352 kilometres, is focusing on the rights of the boatmen and the Nishad community.

Nishads are a riverine community having a sizable population in Kaushambhi, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar and Maharajganj. They belong to the OBC category and their support for the 2022 assembly elections is being seen as crucial by political parties.

The 'Nadi Adhikar Yatra' comes close on the heels of Priyanka Gandhi's slew of Kisan Maha Panchayats in western UP, where she said the Congress would continue to fight for the cause of farmers till the 'anti-farmer' laws were repealed.

The Congress is hopeful that the twin moves will help it garner the support of farming communities and build its base among the OBCs in Uttar Pradesh.

Last month, Priyanka had visited Prayagraj to support the boatmen who were allegedly harassed by the local police. During an earlier visit to Prayagraj, she took a holy dip at the Sangam and even rowed a boat for some time on her way back.

Congress leader Dharmendra Nishad said that if the Congress came to power, would ensure that the Nishad community gets back its rights of the rivers.