The Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.O will be called the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, and will follow a route from Manipur’s Imphal and conclude in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The yatra, which is scheduled to begin on 14 January will culminate on 20 March and cover over 6700 kilometers. The yatra will cross through a total of 15 states, 110 districts and 110 Lok Sabha seats, with a maximum number of days to be spent in Uttar Pradesh, an electorally influential state.
These key decisions about the yatra were taken in a three-hour long meeting helmed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi in the party’s headquarters in Delhi on Thursday. The meeting was attended by all the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries, state in-charges, state Congress presidents, and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders. This was the first major Congress party meeting held to discuss the 2024 Lok Sabha election plans, as well as how to navigate the INDIA alliance.
INDIA Leaders To Be Invited For Yatra
Notably, leaders of the INDIA bloc parties will also be sent invites to join the yatra, and show their support with Rahul Gandhi.
“Everyone is invited to the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The parties of the INDIA alliance, parties allied with the Congress in different states, and civil society organisations are invited to participate in the yatra,” said Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh, speaking to the media after the meeting.
The Congress had conducted the Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, which began late 2022 and ended in January 2023. Unlike the last time though, the Yatra will not be entirely on foot. For parts of the journey, the party will use buses.
The emphasis throughout the meeting seemed to be to focus on the strengthening the Congress cadre, especially in states where the Bharat Jodo Yatra didn’t cross last year.
Kharge paid special attention on having state chiefs instruct their local leaders to focus on “booth management” to the point of “micro-managing”. Kharge said the Congress loses out on a lot of votes because migrants don’t come back to their respective constituencies to vote, and that should be avoiced this time.
The Congress president also raised alarm over the deletion of SC, ST, OBC and minority community’s votes. "One should also be vigilant against deletion of SC, ST, OBC and minority voters. District and Block Congress Committee presidents should keep a continuous tab on that. They should be in regular touch with district electoral officer over these things,” Kharge said in the meeting.
Kharge also told the party leaders that in most states, the Congress has benefited from the support of Muslims, Dalits and the poor or lower middle class, thus those demographics should not be ignored.
'Must Remind Masses Of Congress' Role In Indian Democracy'
Sources said there was also discussion over the Ram Temple’s inauguration in the meeting. While no leader brought up the question of the invite extended to Congress leadership to the inauguration, Kharge did mention how the BJP is using "emotional issues to cover up its failures".
Rahul Gandhi also spoke in the meeting, and underlined the need for the party members to “remind the masses” about the “efforts made by the Congress” in India’s development, over the decades. Kharge also stated the same. "There is a need to remind people about Congress' role in laying the foundation of Parliamentary democracy and modern India," Kharge said.
Some leaders tried to broach the question of seat-sharing plans with INDIA parties, but Kharge said that a special committee had been formed for that purpose, and they are going ahead with the planning as they deem fit.
"We (Congress) should identify the seats where we are weak, and who are the people with a certain support base there,” Kharge said, in the context of seat-sharing within INDIA.
'Refrain From Taking Internal Matters To Media': Kharge
Once the details of the yatra were finalised, Kharge gave a concluding speech to the party leaders present, about giving it their all in the next three months.
"You all are the eyes and ears of the party. You know that whatever we do, we have only the next three months to do it. We have to work day and night with all our might for the party," he said while asking them to "forget all differences".
"Refrain from war of words among yourselves. Refrain from taking internal matters to the media," Kharge added.
Notably, much of the meeting was focused on remembering the Congress’ victory in 2004 and again in 2009, when the party was facing a lot of resistance. Kharge stated that Sonia Gandhi’s resillence in the face of mudslinging from the NDA is what the current lot of leaders should seek to emulate.
Sonia Gandhi had led the party in 2004 to victory when party workers from every village and city stood up for the party, Kharge said, adding that it’s time to revive that dedication and hard work.
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