The name and style of the walkathon will be somewhat altered. Beginning on January 14 in Manipur, it will conclude on March 21 in Mumbai. The last Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY), which came to an end in January of last year, garnered national notice and was perceived to have benefited the party in a few subsequent state elections.
It was reported that in the constituencies it traversed in Karnataka in May 2023 and Telangana in November and December of the same year, the BJY had strengthened ties between the people and the Congress. In certain other states where Rahul Gandhi travelled, it had no effect. After suffering significant defeats in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, he is currently organising his yatra in a new political climate. With a general election only months away, there are greater doubts regarding the party’s resilience and capacity to turn things around.
Source: English Jagran
In contrast to the last yatra, which emphasised the need for unity amid the BJP’s divisive politics, the new yatra aims to advocate for “providing economic, social, and political justice to people.” Given the messaging, many people believed the Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s denials during BJY that the yatra had anything to do with electoral politics. Rahul Gandhi’s image underwent a transformation as a result, portraying him as a sincere politician with moral integrity and even spiritual interests. It is what yatras do to humans. While it is questionable if he still has all the benefits of BJY, it is undeniable that he has changed after the walk. He is no more the same Rahul Gandhi.
In the current political climate, the upcoming yatra cannot be a spiritual or personal pilgrimage. It aims to bring up problems that will be emphasised in the upcoming election campaign. Manipur, which has seen bloodshed for more than six months, is where it all began. States it passes through provide the Congress with a significant political problem.
Source: Rahul Gandhi
However, a significant adviser to Rahul Gandhi claims that the yatra is non-political and unrelated to the upcoming elections. It is a hypocritical and insincere statement that won’t benefit the party. It is a political party reaching out to the public in an attempt to compete with the powerful rival election apparatus of the BJP, not a movement for social justice and upliftment.
Actions and statements by Congress leaders regarding the yatra should be aimed at achieving this goal and should be delivered in an honest and unreserved manner. A party that is unambiguous about its strategy and message cannot be defeated by another party using confusing, or even misleading, language and ineffective tactics.
What do you think about this? Comment below.
