Rahul turned the corner with his yatra
The pan-India march was a big hit but the Congress needs to up its election game now
When Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the Kashmir Valley last week, it was an incredible sight to see. Braving the ice cold temperatures and tight security, a large number of ordinary Kashmiris came out in support. It was terrific to see Rahul Gandhi unfurl the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. The enthusiasm in Kashmir surprised even the Congress.
Starting from Kanyakumari in September 2021, the Bharat Jodo Yatra covered around 3,500 kilometres in 150 days. First the positives.
Despite a lukewarm media response, the yatra received a pretty good response in several places. Even in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the north. It brought in a new energy to the Congress ,which has been down and out electorally for years now.
The yatra has also changed Rahul Gandhi’s image of being a part-time, drawing room politician. By hitting the streets and taking up issues that should matter most to people — like jobs, prices, harmony — Rahul has proved that he does indeed have it in him. He has come across as a leader who is ideologically committed to what he believes in. Rahul Gandhi comes across as sincere and basically a nice guy. But the question is: do nice guys win elections? The Congress has maintained the Bharat Jodo Yatra was not about electoral wins, a silly argument for a political party to make. After all, winning elections is important and what political parties are supposed to do. The Congress is not an NGO and if they seek to change the country, they need the hunger to win elections and come back to power.
Congress is still the only pan India opposition party to take on the BJP. It’s the primary opposition in 12 states and in a direct contest with the BJP in 7 states which account for more than 100 Lok Sabha seats.
None of the regional parties can do it alone at the moment, not even Aam Aadmi Party, which is cutting into Congress votes wherever it goes. While the AAP has expanded its footprint, remember it only won one Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
They have a long way to go. Any meaningful opposition alliance against the BJP therefore needs the Congress to be a part of it. It’s another matter that several regional forces see the Congress as a burden, and would rather forge a front without it. The success of a nonCongress non-BJP front is dim.
The Congress needs to address many issues. Internal factionalism is one of the biggest challenges it faces. Such as the Gehlot- Pilot fight in Rajasthan, where elections are due later this year.
This could cost them the state. Karnataka has elections coming up in May where again the party is facing internal rumblings between the opposing camps of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. In Kerala, Shashi Tharoor has been locked in a battle with local leaders for months now; while several other senior leaders remain disgruntled.
This is where the party must get its house in order. And be pragmatic about electoral alliances. The yatra was a good start. Now it must convert this into votes.