Questions are being raised over the timing of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra with the party facing strong headwinds from INDIA bloc allies in terms of participating in the yatra and seat-sharing talks in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election.
Mr. Gandhi’s 6,713-km journey, currently passing through West Bengal, took a two-day break on Friday to celebrate Republic Day amid speculation that Janata Dal (United) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is on the verge of joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) again. Mr. Kumar, who played a key role in the formation of the Opposition bloc, has also reportedly given the cold shoulder to the Congress’s invitation to join the yatra when it enters Purnea in Bihar.
Even before Mr. Gandhi’s customised ‘Nyay Bus’ rolled into West Bengal on January 25, Trinamool Congress (TMC) president and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that her party would not be tying up with the Congress for the general election.
She also accused the Congress of being “discourteous” by neither inviting her to the yatra nor keeping her informed about its passage through the State. Promptly denying the charge, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge called up Ms. Banerjee to discuss the concerns and requested the TMC chief to join the yatra.
Both the TMC and the JD(U) have accused the Congress leadership of focussing on the yatra instead of taking on the BJP in the election. Mr. Kumar is said to have argued with his close aides that the INDIA bloc cannot emerge as an effective alliance as the Congress has kept delaying “key decisions”, apparently alluding to the failure to appoint a convener of the INDIA bloc for over six months.
Congress insiders, however, argue that the party has delegated key responsibilities. Mr. Gandhi is trying to mobilise public support on the theme of justice by embarking on the yatra through States like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar, where the party’s presence is now virtually absent.
The tasks of electioneering and organisational planning have been entrusted with Mr. Kharge and his core team. From addressing a series of ‘Workers’ Convention’ events across States to reaching out to difficult allies, the 81-year-old party president will be largely shouldering the responsibility of poll preparations till the yatra concludes in Mumbai on March 20.
‘Candidate selection delayed’
“Who goes on a yatra just two months before the election? And that too we are calling it a non-electoral yatra,” said a Congress MP. His comments reflect the sense of unease among a section of Congress leaders who are worried that the focus on the yatra could delay shortlisting and finalisation of candidates for Lok Sabha seats.
“The screening committees for shortlisting candidates have not started holding meetings for ticket finalisation,” said another party leader, adding, “The workers are torn between preparing for the yatra and joining Rahulji and starting booth-level preparations for seats where the party has a chance to win.”
The counter-argument is that the yatra will mobilise grassroots workers as it covers 15 States and over 100 Lok Sabha seats, building a narrative against the BJP on key livelihood issues and directly connecting the party’s top leadership with the masses.
