It is true that amidst the suffocating current political situation, the Congress has not lost its relevance for the ideas it propounds and its acceptance among the masses. But instead of trying to come back, we have been seeing the Congress going in different directions for the past few years.
Rahul Gandhi is now in a new form. Thick beard, brown complexion and long hair. Bharat Jodo Yatra has transformed Rahul into a form beyond his age. The journey he plans to complete in the next five months has become Rahul’s makeover. Rahul presents the image of a serious and hard-working political leader to the Congress at the end of each trip. The Congressmen describe the Yatra as Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is Rahul’s renewal of Indian politics, which has lost its political morals.
But Can Congress Come back Just Because Of Rahul’s Journey ?
The lesson of political history is that the padayatra of Rajiv Gandhi and LK Advani only made the party and the leader grow at that time. While Rahul’s transition to a vintage-looking leader with a mature grey beard is not much to look forward to, the jodo trip offers the Congress a chance for a fresh start. Congress can once again recapture its traditional roots among the common people. The 3570 km long road trip will change Rahul From being a prankster to a serious political leader. Throughout the journey, Rahul meets people and sticks with them. Hugging and talking to people. It is estimated that this has increased the people’s attachment to Rahul. But when Rahul’s journey passes through North India after South India, the Jatha captain has to face many states where the organisation itself is left behind. It remains to be seen what magic wand Rahul will use to bring the party back here before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Advani’s Rath Yatra was instrumental in ensuring the BJP’s Hindutva agenda in national politics. Despite being in the country for more than six decades, it was Advani’s journey that exposed the ideology and agenda of the BJP and the RSS among the voters. Hindutva became the main topic of discussion. Advani proposed a different policy to replace the secular agenda of the Congress. With Narendra Modi coming to power after Vajpayee, it was the resurgence of BJP. Modi has become the new face of BJP in terms of looks and feel. Later, prominent Congress leaders left the Nehruvian point of view and joined the BJP. The G23 leaders who are questioning Sonia Gandhi have emerged in the party.
Even though Modi’s hallmark is Hindutva politics, seeing that it is turning into vote politics, the opposition also copied it. The Aam Aadmi Party, which came into the picture with trumpets of change against corruption, is also going after the Hindutva agenda to win the elections. Remarks such as a single civil code and images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on top of currencies were cited as examples of Kejriwal’s Hindutva agenda. In the meantime, Rahul Gandhi, who is looking for a political alternative, is travelling. Rahul says that soft Hinduism is not an alternative to Hindutva politics. But Hinduism cannot be rejected out of hand.
If Rahul’s trip can inspire Congressmen, make them battle-ready and sustain them for a long time, it will be a huge success. One of the greatest strengths of the RSS, BJP and CPM is their sense of organization and discipline. Congress does not have that. Their leaders became lazy and lost the will to fight. New cadre needs to be developed. This is the most difficult task.
If Rahul’s goal is a national alternative to Modi in 2024, prominent opposition leaders like Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Chandrashekhar Rao and Nitish Kumar are on different paths. Many dream of becoming the prime minister. Bringing them together is no easy task. In the meantime, Jodo Yatra is advancing in search of a political alternative. It is true that amidst the suffocating current political situation, the Congress has not lost its relevance for its ideas and acceptance among the masses. But instead of trying to come back, we have been seeing the Congress going in different directions for the past few years.
Himachal, Gujarat First Challenge
The upcoming Gujarat Himachal election is the main challenge for the Congress at present. This election will also be the first reflection of Rahul’s Jodo Yatra aimed at reviving the party. And the first fight under new president Mallikarjun Kharge. Even though there is no hope in Gujarat, the fight in Himachal is also a proud fight for the Congress. Election dates have been announced in both places.
After the BJP came to power in Gujarat in 1995, the Congress never looked back in the state. The result of the last assembly elections shocked the BJP here, but the situation has changed. 16 Congress MLAs resigned. Most of them joined the BJP camp. At present the Congress has 66 members. Aam Aadmi Party is here today to replace Congress. Out of Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakur and Jignesh Mevani, who are known to be anti-BJP young faces, only Mevani is left for the Congress. The remaining two joined the BJP.
The Aam Aadmi Party is putting forward the work to write a new history in Himachal, where the Congress and the BJP alternately ruled every five years. The campaign also copied Modi’s Hindutva agenda along with offering politics. If the Congress is relying on anti-incumbency sentiment in Himachal, the problem of multiplicity of leadership and insurgency is acute. The demise of Virbhadra Singh, a stalwart leader who held the post of chief minister six times, was a big blow to the Congress. The Congress is trying to fill that void by highlighting his wife Phenomenon. Vijay Singh Mankotia, who left the Congress and joined the BJP, is contesting as an opponent of Phenoming. The BJP also has a rebel problem as they are not given tickets to contest. B.J.
The reality is that no amount of Congress magic will be able to regain its power in UP, Punjab, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh now. In states like Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, the challengers are those who left the Congress. It was clear during the Congress president election that the problem within the party in Rajasthan was still not resolved. The main issue is the cold war between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot. Sachin is constantly asking the leadership to take action against those who worked against the party during the presidential elections. Last night, Sachin told the media that he should consider Modi’s description of Ashok Gehlot as a senior chief minister. Sachin’s remark was referring to Ghulam Nabi Azad. This has also started a new controversy in the Congress. Even the Congress leadership is not sure if it will be able to maintain it in the next Lok Sabha elections, only 19 seats were won in Kerala last time.
It can be seen that Kejriwal is going after the Hindutva agenda to win votes, even if the election promise he puts forward in Gujarat and Himachal is the Punjab and Delhi model. Examples are the Lakshmi Devi image above and the Eka civil code reference on currencies. Although the election date in Gujarat was announced on Thursday, AAP is releasing the candidate lists in different stages. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo journey for the unity of the people and the recovery of the idea of India is progressing.
After the Udaipur Chintan Shivir training programs, the leadership took big decisions but the Congress still has leaders who are not even ready to take them forward properly. Those who cannot stick to a decision. Even political critics are asking the question whether Rahul, who is running through rain and sun, will be left with only his makeover.