- We are aware of how Rahul Gandhi undertook the Bharat Jodo yatra crisscrossing the length and breadth of the country to galvanise the party cadre and the sinking fortunes of the party. Make no mistake, the yatra didn’t fail to grab media attention, and people’s interest, but also helped to resurrect the diminishing morale of the Congress cadre on the ground. Due credit must be accorded to Rahul Gandhi for earnestly attempting something out of the ordinary when more established party leaders were left with nothing but usual shenanigans lacking in substance as well as credibility. Now, it was expected that the yatra would substantially propel the Grand Old Party to reemerge as a force to reckon with across the country taking on the might of the BJP.
PC: The Wire
- The moot point to ponder over here is whether Congress can confidently lay claim that the yatra has benefitted the party in more than one way. Unfortunately, the electoral reverses experienced by Congress firmly establish the fact that the yatra could not convert the goodwill and support into votes which in turn would have propelled it to form governments. Yes, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka assembly victories came as a much-required breather for Congress struggling to stay afloat and pose a formidable challenge to the well-oiled election machinery of the BJP. However, these victories cannot be attributed to the yatra’s positive fallout since there were different variables at play. What about the recent electoral defeats in the Hindi heartland states then?
- The buildup to the state assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh was not only intriguing for its long-term repercussions on national politics but also would show which way the political wind was blowing before the Lok Sabha elections scheduled in April/May 2024. Indeed, Congress was upbeat from the internal surveys as well as general opinion emanating from various media platforms about its fortunes in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, respectively. Going by the look of things, Congress was quite gung-ho about its prospects of electoral victories that would make it front of the fledgling opposition I.N.D.I. alliance formed to counter the BJP’s impressive election machinery. The defeats in three Hindi heartland states came as a shocker.
PC: The Economic Times
- Especially, the defeat in Chhattisgarh when every pre and exit-poll predicted Congress crossing the distance comfortably must be hard to fathom for the top leadership. Rahul Gandhi’s vituperative personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him names such as panauti, going overboard with alleged Adani-Modi linkups, raking up caste census, and overbearing accusations without concrete evidence to supplement the claims also played a huge role in people choosing the BJP. Undeniably, Narendra Modi’s imposing presence and guarantees struck a chord with the electorate in the Hindi heartland states. These defeats will render Congress much weakened reducing its prima donna role in the opposition alliance significantly.
