Congress has only one Lok Sabha seat and it’s aware that if it has to counter the narrative that it has been reduced to a South-based party, it has to do well in the North.
More importantly, the road to the Centre goes through Uttar Pradesh. In 2009, when UPA was in power, it had 22 seats from the state. This has fallen to one. Worse, Rahul Gandhi lost from his family bastion of Amethi.
The Congress now wants to undergo a makeover. Hence, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra — as its second chapter has been named — will be spending 11 days in Uttar Pradesh and cover 20 districts spread over 1,074 kilometres. This is in contrast to the first leg of the yatra when UP was not on the map but was added last-minute. Then it covered only three districts, that too in Meerut, before it entered Haryana.
This time, the places the yatra will touch are significant. The three stops are Varanasi, Amethi and Rae Bareli.
What has also caught attention in political circles is Rahul Gandhi’s decision to skip Ayodhya where the BJP hopes to cash in on the Ram Mandir spectacle. A top source in the party said: “We don’t want to do anything which will stoke a political controversy.” However, it’s quite possible that Rahul Gandhi may take a detour to Ayodhya.
Varanasi is Narendra Modi’s constituency and there was a suggestion recently at the INDIA front meeting from Mamata Banerjee that Priyanka Vadra should contest against the prime minister. It’s unlikely that a party which likes to play safe, especially when it comes to the Gandhis, will field her from Varanasi in case Vadra makes her poll debut. But the fact that the yatra will go through Varanasi shows the party wants a head-on battle with the prime minister and is ready for a fight.
The yatra’s travel through Amethi and Rae Bareli is more about protecting what was once the Grand Old Party’s turf — especially Amethi where Smriti Irani emerged as a giant killer and inflicted a humiliating defeat on Rahul Gandhi. Since then, Rahul Gandhi has visited Amethi only twice, despite telling voters that it is his home. This has sparked speculation if he or Priyanka Vadra will take on Irani.
Rae Bareli doesn’t look confident for the Congress. Sonia Gandhi is the lone MP yet she has barely visited her constituency. Neither has Priyanka Vadra who used to handle it for her mother. Things have changed in this seat. Aditi Singh, who was MLA from here, quit to join the BJP. She is the daughter of the late leader Akhilesh singh who is still remembered here. In case BJP fields her opposite Sonia Gandhi, it could be a tough fight. Congress senses that there is a restlessness among voters here who are moaning about having an absentee MP. Or is the ground being prepared to field Rahul Gandhi from here?
As the Congress gears up, will the yatra be the saving grace for the Gandhis in UP?
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