Bharat Jodo: The Desi Walkathon
9 years since BJP’s landslide victory in Lok Sabha elections, there have been questions on the presence of a formidable opposition in the Parliament to challenge BJP in the upcoming 2024 elections. Congress is a default name that would come to anyone’s mind for acting as an opposition to BJP’s power. However, the gulf between BJP and other parties has widened to such an extent that a coalition of multiple parties is viewed as the best possible alternative to BJP in the upcoming elections. Congress has been on a free fall and Rahul Gandhi has never been viewed as a leader who can inspire the nation. There are defragmented members within the Congress with a lot of them defecting to BJP like Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party looked to change all of that from September 2022 by embarking on a country wide walkathon called ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ with the sole intent of connecting to people and understanding their issues and injustices being carried out. While that was the official intent, unofficially, the intent was to establish Rahul Gandhi as a leader of the masses and instil some inspiration among the nation that Congress still exists. Only time will tell (probably a year) whether Bharat Jodo Yatra was a success or a damp squib, but it captured the imagination of the nation and we got to see a new version of Rahul Gandhi. 2024 is still distant, but some inference can be made from Bharat Jodo Yatra which could possibly indicate or no result in a shift in the political landscape of India.
1. Image makeover of Rahul Gandhi: Rahul Gandhi was always viewed as a ‘Pappu’ for his rhetorical remarks which would indicate his lack of knowledge on politics and the disconnect he had with the Indian voting relevant public. This 4-month long walkathon has instilled a distinct liking for Rahul Gandhi among the public for his comments, antics and how he completed something he started. This is an indication of his seriousness to change Indian politics albeit it will come at a very slow pace.
2. Support from celebrities and Raghuram Rajan: The Bharat Jodo Yatra garnered interest from key celebrities with neutral political affiliations as well. Raghuram Rajan, Vijender Singh, Divine and key faces like Kamal Hassan came out in full support of Bharat Jodo Yatra indicating their belief in doing right for the wrong. This was a good indication of people standing up to BJP’s dominance. Only time will tell how strong they can stand up to that.
3. Are the masses connected? While Bharat Jodo Yatra had immense media attention, it is tough to say if the masses really connected with the yatra or it was more of a show and tell process. Rahul Gandhi did reach out to many people but the conversion factor to Congress’s allegiance will be a very open-ended question as nothing remarkable has been done for the public in this yatra.
4. Congress stands united (some opposition parties as well): Congress has its fair share of leaders who are at loggerheads with each other. Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are the poster faces of such tiffs within Congress. However, Bharat Jodo Yatra saw them coming together as well I full support. While it may be superficial, the united stand only goes to show the belief everyone had in this walkathon. Outside Congress, its allies and no allies like Shiv Sena and NCP were out in full support as well. This was an indication of the united front that could come up in 2024 with Congress in the lead.
5. Just a façade with no outcome: Out of all this, the Bharat Jodo Yatra may have kept people glued on to the TV for its progress, Rahul Gandhi’s machoism of wearing a t-shirt in Delhi winters and a Hagrid type beard being grown, the approval ratings of Narendra Modi indicate that this just may be a façade and no concrete outcome came out of it. There may be increased love for Rahul Gandhi but translation of love into votes is something which 2024 results can only tell.
2024 still seems to be going BJP’s way, but the Bharat Jodo Yatra may be a signal for all parties to think out of the box to challenge the domination of BJP and present a united front for the people. This walkathon could indeed result in a marathon for all politic parties including BJP to think out of the box and establish an election promise that is for the people and by the people.
