By Saiyed Moziz Imam Zaidi
New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS): The 3,570-km Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra that will pass through 12 states and two union territories, could be a game changer for the Congress, which is in search of an electoral success to revive itself after being confined to two states -- Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
The yatra, which is passing through Kerala, is getting good support and the Congress workers are enthusiastic about it. The Congress leaders say the BJP is rattled as it is attacking the yatra.
A few days back Rahul Gandhi said, "The BJP has an opinion. RSS has an opinion but, in the Congress Party, this is a journey, this is an attempt at understanding what is going on on the ground in India and an attempt at undoing some of the damage that the BJP and the RSS have done."
The Congress leaders allege that the BJP is spreading canard as it has sensed that it can't counter the Congress on the issue of inflation and unemployment.
Sonia Gandhi too is hopeful about the Congress getting back after this yatra. On the launch day, she said, "This is a landmark occasion for our great party with such a glorious legacy-the Indian National Congress. I am confident that our organisation will be rejuvenated. It is also a transformational moment in Indian politics."
The Congress is saying that it is a battle between the ideologies, which has been going on for ages. "This battle has been going on for a couple thousand years now between two different visions. So, I don't think this battle is new. There are two different visions of India. There have always been two different visions of India. One vision, which is rigid, controlling and another vision, which is plural, open minded and I think, this battle will continue. We are playing our role in this fight."
Congress has to face seven major elections ahead of the 2024 polls. This year it will be Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, then next year Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. These account for 150 Lok Sabha seats approximately.
Rahul Gandhi said they are not fighting a political party anymore, they used to fight a political party and "now, the fight is not between one political party and another political party. Now the fight is between the structure of the Indian state and the Opposition and everybody understands this. Now, this is not an easy fight. This is a difficult fight."
He said under pressure from agencies many leaders are leaving the party "but the party will fight for a certain idea of India, a certain notion of this country and there are many-many people in the Congress Party and in the opposition, who are convinced of this fact."
The Congress says that "the aim of yatra is to counter polarisation and to connect with the people, listen to the people, understand what they are facing and also communicate to them a few things, communicate the fact that India has changed. The institutional framework of India has been captured and there is an attempt to place one vision on top of this country. This country which has multiple visions, one vision has been enforced."
Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the "country is divided along religious lines, that is very clear. The country is divided along state lines, that is very clear. People do not have employment; people do not have work, that is very clear."
He said, "Two or three big businesses are controlling everything; the third richest man is now in India, who is probably going to become the richest very soon, a close confidante of the leader of the country, that is not harmonious. But there is a massive price rise."