Rahul’s Yatra may not be enough for Victory

There is no doubt that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra has led to a sea change in the political landscape of India. Even the critics of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi in particular, who designated him as ‘Pappu’, have been forced to sit up and take note of the massive crowds the Yatra has been attracting.
It is remarkable that the BJP leaders and spokespersons, who had been denigrating Rahul Gandhi for more than a decade, have been forced to take note of the Yatra. Of course, they have not stopped attacking the Congress for what the party has done or not done in the past.
One way in which the ruling dispensation has tried to check the impact of the Yatra is its downplaying by the media. The news channels, which are either controlled or influenced by the ruling class, directly or indirectly, have been either ignoring the epochal Yatra or barely noticing it. Even the so-called national newspapers have pushed coverage of the Yatra to obscure places on the inside pages mostly.
But thanks to social media, the common people have been able to access information on the Yatra and also see the massive response it has received in the states through which it has passed.But the moot question is - will the Yatra enable the Congress to turn the tables on the Narendra Modi led BJP in the next general elections to be held in 2024.
The elections held in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh at the end of last year, 2022, are a pointer. In Himachal Pradesh, where there was almost a straight fight, the Congress was able to oust the BJP from power. But in Gujarat, the BJP secured an unprecedented victory with its best showing ever. The Congress was not able to win even enough seats to be able to get the position of leader of the opposition in the Assembly. Another feature of the Assembly election in the state was the role as spoiler played by Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party. Its presence led to the Congress losing several seats to the BJP in close fights, No doubt, the election results will help the AAP to get the tag of a national political party.
This year will witness Assembly elections in nine states. These will set the stage for the Lok Sabha elections next year.The Bharat Jodo Yatra has energised the Congress. The election of a leader from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family as the party president after decades is also expected to help the Congress to counter the accusations of being a family run party.
But a crucial factor going forward will be the ability of the Congress and other opposition parties to put up a united fight against the Narendra Modi led BJP. Leaders like Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party head Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati can, if they agree, play a crucial role in forging a common front to defeat the BJP. The Yatra has created a momentum for taking on the BJP led by Narendra Modi. But the Congress will have to play its cards well to forge a united front to take on the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah led BJP. The Bharat Jodo Yatra will need a further push to turn the tables on the ruling dispensation.

(Writer is a political analyst)