But the biggest problem is that it will translate into votes. Congress says its impact must be assessed. Congress has lost the last two elections by its worst showing ever.
UPDATED – 10:28AM, SUNDAY – 1/8/23
New Delhi: As the Bharat Jodo Yatra will end this month in Srinagar, Congress pointed out that the Yatra is not political but an ideological battle. Even Rahul Gandhi insists that this is an ideological struggle against the BJP-RSS.
But the biggest problem is that it will translate into votes. Congress says its impact must be assessed. Congress has lost the last two elections by its worst showing ever.
Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) was banned from adopting divisive ideology and building harmony, party secretary-general Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday, which is not winning elections for the Yatra. “I think we’re late because we’re more focused on the election and this pilgrimage should have been called off sooner because it’s an ideological battle and it could take years to undo the poison of hate spread by RSS,” he said.
Elaborating on the purpose of the pilgrimage, the congressional leader said it was to spread love and harmony among the people and that the pilgrimage had achieved some goals, “but it is impossible to predict how it will affect the election now.”
“The message of Bharat Jodo is not limited to the 12 states and two union territories through which the Yatra passes. Several state-level Yatras have announced that the upcoming ‘Haath se Haath Jodo Abhiyan’ will bring the message of Bharat Jodo to every Indian doorstep,” said Jairam Ramesh.
The party is also reaching out to potential allies. In Uttar Pradesh, for example, the party wrote to the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal, and even to the Ram Temple Committee. Although none of the leaders took part in the pilgrimage, RLD’s worker and farmer groups lent their support to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and participated in his Bharat Jodo Yatra in western Uttar Pradesh.
BSP chief Mayawati and SP president Akhilesh Yadav backed Yatra, while RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary backed it, saying the movement was a means to unite the people.
Akhilesh Yadav did not join the Yatra, but stressed that the degree of unity among the various opposition parties will determine the outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
He called on opposition parties to work together and said the process had already begun. “The Bharat Jodo Yatra is preparing for the next Lok Sabha polls and its impact will be felt then,” Yadav said.
Sending his best wishes to BJY, Akhilesh Yadav said it was Rahul Gandhi’s political pilgrimage going well. He also expressed hope for Rahul Gandhi’s success.
On the subject of personally participating in the Yatra, like his ally RLD, Akhilesh Yadav said he had an emotional connection to the venture in Congress, but since it was ultimately a political project, he chose not to be involved.
After the party’s plenary meeting in Raipur in February, Congress will make a political leap in the coalition.
“Six main themes will be discussed – politics, economy, international affairs, farmers and agriculture, social justice and empowerment, youth education and employment,” Congress leader KC Venugopal said.
Over 113 days, Yatra covered more than 55 districts and 10 states and one Union Territory – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Trin Gana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
This Yatra is indeed a listening exercise of the Congress, the Yatra listens to the voices of the people in a large number of meetings. So far there have been 87 meetings and interactions of 30-40 minutes each, with smaller groups, typically 20-30 people involved in these interactions.
200 walks have been planned for four or five people, ranging from celebrities to intellectuals to activists to veterans and children. In addition to this, 11 large public meetings were held, attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Rahul Gandhi also held 10 major press conferences – one in each state – and the media, especially local media, were free to ask questions.
