New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is becoming an ‘opposition jodo’ march for the former Congress chief in a way. Even before the yatra entered Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, former chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav wished Rahul though the two former allies chose to skip the foot march.
Both BSP chief Mayawati and SP president Akhilesh Yadav wrote letters to thank Rahul for inviting them to join the UP leg of the yatra from January 3 to 5. Recently, replying to a media query over Akhilesh Yadav’s likely participation, Rahul had said that as the SP had a position in UP that the regional party had to defend, the former chief minister may skip the yatra.
However, the former Congress chief had noted that anyone who believed in the central idea of the yatra- that is to unite the country- was welcome any day. Significantly, both Mayawati and Akhilesh backed Rahul’s idea in their responses.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu-based DMK had participated in the yatra launch from Kanyakumari on September 7, 2022. Later, allies like NCP and Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray faction, represented by Supriya Sule and Aditya Thackeray, also joined the yatra in Maharashtra.
Last week, as Maharashtra Congress chief Kamal Nath and Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel publicly batted for Rahul Gandhi as the party’s prime ministerial face in 2024, Bihar chief minister and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar appreciated the former Congress chief. Nitish’s sentiments were soon shared by Sena’s Sanjay Raut.
During the last leg of the yatra in UT Jammu and Kashmir, NC leader Farooq Abdullah and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti are set to join Rahul’s yatra before the foot march concludes on January 30 in Srinagar. On Tuesday, hours before the yatra entered UP, Sena’s Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi walked beside Rahul, indicating a growing convergence between the two parties.
Before the yatra was to enter Delhi, DMK MP Kanimozhi had walked beside Rahul on December 23 in neighboring Haryana. Though the Congress and Rahul have been specifically saying that the purpose of the yatra is not political, the foot march has been seen as an effort to bring together like-minded parties ahead of the bigger electoral battle of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Recently, Rahul said the Congress is prepared to play that anchor role. “The Congress can give the central framework needed to present an alternative vision for the country. That is our role. But we must also ensure that the opposition feels comfortable and that there is mutual respect,” he said.
According to AICC Secretary BP Singh, the central message of the yatra to bring social cohesion and raising of issues like unemployment and price rise were attracting both the people and the political parties towards the foot march and the sentiment would reflect in the 2024 national polls.
“We have seen widespread support for the yatra from the commoners as well as the political figures. Several opposition parties have come out in support of the yatra and this coming together will certainly be reflected ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” Singh told ETV Bharat.
