Suket (Rajasthan): Five kilometres from Suket on National Highway 52, hundreds of people waited to catch a glimpse of Rahul Gandhi while the Bharat Jodo Yatra team stopped to rest. “I’ve been walking non-stop from Madhya Pradesh, and I wanted to meet Rahul Gandhi. I want his government in Madhya Pradesh as well,” Sonu Dhakad told The Wire.Gandhi’s 3,570 km-long Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Rajasthan on September 5 from Jhalawar, where former Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister Vasundhara Raje is dominant. Gandhi and his fellow yatris were received at Chanwli Chauraha, approximately 40 km from Jhalawar city, in the traditional Rajasthani style upon entering the state, where the party has been working to smooth over differences between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.The Bharat Jodo Yatra is passing through Rajasthan for 16 days, with two days of rest in between.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and party leaders Randeep Surjewala, Sachin Pilot and Govind Singh Dotasra during the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, in Jhalawar district, Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. Photo: PTI“This historic journey launched in Jhalawar is now on its way to Kota. Rahul Gandhi’s message, to give up hate and unite the country, is on everyone’s lips in the city. This yatra has been successful and we are all excited. People who didn’t know Rahul Gandhi yet now know him because of this yatra, from the elderly to the younger generation. We’re confident of winning all four seats in Jhalawar, including the seat of former chief minister Vasundhra Raje,” a Congress party worker from Jhalawar told The Wire.As the police tightened security in Rajasthan, Gandhi began his journey from Jhalawar to Kota. Former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot was seen on his left, while chief minister Ashok Gehlot was on his right. People had mixed reactions as they saw Gandhi talking to both Gehlot and Pilot. In a tweet, Gandhi suggested that the party in the state was now “united”.The united colours of Rajasthan! pic.twitter.com/D1mjKaaBsa— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 14, 2018The city, however, was plastered with posters of the two leaders, with Pilot’s posters not featuring Gehlot and vice versa. But both leaders did walk side by side with Gandhi.Ankit, a doctor working in Jhalawar, left his duties to meet Gandhi. When asked why, Ankit replied, “The medical college fees have been hiked and I can’t afford an LPG cylinder. Rahul Gandhi is my idol and he is the last hope for us who can bring normalcy back to the country.”Jhalawar has four seats for MLAs, none of which are held by the Congress party. Gandhi’s yatra started there and then continued to Kota before passing through Dausa, Pilot’s bastion.On December 8, the yatra reached Kota. A huge crowd was waiting to catch a glimpse of Gandhi, and he stopped to meet students waiting for him near the Allen Career Institute..Congress leader Rahul Gandhi waves at supporters during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Kota, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. Photo: PTISenior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had recently addressed the infighting in the Rajasthan Congress, saying that it was the organisation and not individuals that must be paramount. He also said that the party leadership wouldn’t shy away from taking tough steps if required – but it remains to be seen what that means.On December 7, the Aam Aadmi Party won the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections, where the Congress only won nine seats. On December 8, the results of the elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat were announced. While the Congress emerged victorious in Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party cemented its hold over Gujarat with a record-breaking win.Two questions are being raised about the Congress party and its yatra: Was the yatra more important than these elections; and is the party not concerned about state elections and instead preparing for the 2024 general elections?Srinivas B.V., national president of Indian Youth Congress, told The Wire, “Thousands of people are depressed because they can’t find a job. Our leader Rahul Gandhi is fighting for them, because the [Union] government don’t care for the people of this country. Narendra Modi came to power after making fake promises of two crore jobs and Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts.”“People hoped that Modi would cut down the rates of sugar, petrol and LPG cylinders, but he has now vanished from their dreams. It is now our duty to raise people’s voice and that’s why we’re on streets,” he continued.When The Wire asked Srinivas about the party’s performance in the MCD elections, he agreed that it had been a poor performance. However, he said he is confident that in the Lok Sabha election, the result will be the different and Rahul Gandhi will become the prime minister.So is this yatra in preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections? “The yatra is to save our Constitution,” Srinivas replied. “And to save the people from the poison which is being spread every day on TV. Rahul Gandhi is here to spread love. Mahatma Gandhi fought the East India Company and Rahul Gandhi is fighting with West India Company.”“The BJP is worried from our yatra because of the huge support we’re getting on the ground. They’re keeping an eye on us with drones. First they thought that we’ll only get support in south India, but now they’re worried that the entire country is supporting us,” he continued.The Congress may be out to spread the message of love, but its leaders in Rajasthan – Gehlot and Pilot – have not been showing much love for each other. When asked how the party was going to handle that, Srinivas replied, “They are together since day one of the yatra and they are walking together. It’s the BJP who is telling people that we’re not together, but we are and we are also going to win Rajasthan next year.”Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with young supporters during the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Kota district, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. Photo: PTISwaraj India founder and activist Yogendra Yadav, who has been participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra since it began, said that even though he is not a Congress member, he recognises that the motivation of bringing people together is important. “I felt that the entire city of Kota is on streets to be with this yatra,” he told The Wire. “I have not seen such a huge crowd on the streets before.”When asked how Yadav read the Gujarat assembly election results, where the BJP won with a huge margin, he replied, “This is the BJP’s strategy – when they lost Bengal, they said it won’t effect us, but when they won Uttar Pradesh, they said that it’s a win for 2024. These results won’t create an impact in 2024. I would say that this is a message for the opposition that the BJP can be defeated only if there is one strong opposition, just like we saw in Himachal and the Delhi MCD.”
