Last-ditch effort braving the rain
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered Karnataka last weekend, has become a political talking point. The cheering crowds flanking the roads, thousands of padayatris, sloganeering and rallies are a potent package and nothing short of a well-timed election campaign. The imagery of an energetic, smiling man in T-shirt and slacks makes for effective optics, especially when Rahul Gandhi addresses a crowd, unmindful of the pouring rain. Pictures of Rahul’s easy rapport with children, holding hands and hugging, mark him as a leader. It is a well-planned yatra, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti celebrations at Badanavalu village in Nanjangud taluk, a khadi production centre with historical links to Mahatma Gandhi, and the Dasara festivities in Mysuru. The Congress has made a calculated move with Rahul on a charm offensive and an outreach to all communities and sections of society, projecting him as bringing hope and positive change to those discriminated against over caste and religion.
Karnataka is a state where the Congress is still a force to reckon with, despite the leadership squabbles, and with Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi making cameo appearances in the next few days, this leg of the padayatra should go down as a pretty success. The Gandhis have significant links with Karnataka.It was in Chikkamagaluru that Indira Gandhi got political rebirth post-Emergency when she contested from here in 1978. Ballari elected Sonia Gandhi over BJP’s Sushma Swaraj by over 56,000 votes.
Not surprisingly, the ruling BJP is rattled by the surge of support for Rahul Gandhi, deciding to walk 3,500 km over 150 days, professedly to “safeguard the Constitution, the rights of Dalits, tribals, minorities, women and all the marginalised sections of society”. A leader who appears to be committed to reviving his party, as opposed to the image of an entitled dynastic scion projected by the BJP, is constantly belittled on social media for his leadership skills and speeches. BJP leaders have dismissed the yatra, made unflattering remarks and also accused Rahul of “misusing children”. With elections barely eight months away, the ruling party appears apprehensive that the yatra could translate into votes in Karnataka. Unseating the BJP at the Centre may be a far-fetched dream for now, but for a Congress which is losing every election and is embroiled in leadership issues, the Bharat Jodo Yatra could be a last-ditch effort to revive its fortunes, and prove to be an elixir.