MUMBAI: The Maharashtra leg of the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra sheds some light on state leaders’ uncanny ambition to prepare their loved ones for a career in politics. Photos and videos of Congress leaders’ children clicking themselves with Rahul Gandhi out on the yatra or having a chat with him are being shared on social media. These visuals could stand them in good stead in the local body polls and 2024 assembly elections, party sources said.
The yatra started in Nanded district’s Deglur town where former chief minister Ashok Chavan prodded his daughter Shreejaya to walk with Rahul in her home district. Chavan shared the visuals on social media. Sources said Chavan is readying the ground for Shreejaya to contest the 2024 assembly elections in his place while preferring to contest the Lok Sabha polls. In 2019, Chavan lost the general election by over 50,000 votes against the BJP candidate. He would like to contest again to settle scores with incumbent BJP Lok Sabha MP Prataprao Chikhalikar.
Over to state Congress legislature party leader and former revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat. He wants his daughter Jayshree, a doctor by profession, to contest the local body elections and subsequently state assembly elections in his place in Sangamner constituency in Ahmednagar district.
Ditto for Vijay Wadettiwar, former Congress minister. He is busy promoting his daughter for future politics. Along the yatra route, huge billboards with photos of his daughter Shivani have come up at various places in Washim and Akola districts. She also walked along with Rahul during the yatra. Her photos with Rahul Gandhi have been widely shared on social media.
Former Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s daughter Praniti Shinde, an MLA, also walked with the Gandhi scion. Shinde could be preparing her daughter for a larger role.