Bharat Jodo Yatra completes one month; Congress leaders happy with response in Karnataka

When Rahul Gandhi and his ‘sahyatri’ (fellow travellers) stopped for a break at Anche Chittanahalli—a nondescript village in Mandya district—the Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the 30th day, traversing 728 km across three states, and meeting diverse groups of people.

As it finished one month on the road, Congress leaders were happy with the way the 3,570 km Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir ‘padayatra’ (on-foot journey) was progressing. They believed the yatra was reigniting Congress workers and dreamed of a positive outcome.

A week ago, Congress leaders in the state were reportedly jittery about the yatra entering the poll-bound Karnataka, as they were not expecting the kind of response they received in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

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Twenty-one days of the yatra in Karnataka gave the state leaders sleepless nights about the response.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh told DH: “While the response in Tamil Nadu was good and in Kerala phenomenal, in Karnataka it has far exceeded our expectation which has made the BJP nervous and putting its dirty tricks department on overtime duty.”

Chandy Oommen, a young Congress leader from Kerala who was among the 119 hand-picked Bharat Yatris, acknowledges the difference. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, he said, people lived on either sides of the road and it was easy to get the crowd, but mobilisation in Karnataka has been phenomenal and it would help the organisation.

Priyank Kharge, senior MLA and Karnataka Congress communications department chairperson sums up the impact the yatra was having on the ground. It is in its sixth day in Karnataka, but even Kharge was not sure about the response in the state. “The foundation of the entire yatra is about economic inequality, about preserving constitutional values, unemployment and corruption. It is striking a chord with people,” he told DH.

The icing on the cake for the Karnataka Congress was party chief Sonia Gandhi joining the yatra in Pandavapura on Thursday, in what could be her last public appearance in a party event as president.

Lavanya Ballal, who was media coordinator for the yatra in Kerala and Karnataka Congress spokesperson, said the morale of the cadre got an additional boost with Sonia Gandhi joining the yatra. Recounting her experience, Ballal said that personally the yatra was a learning experience for her, while it was bringing more people close to the party.

During the yatra, Rahul Gandhi would meet a large number of people and groups in the state. The organisers were also reportedly taking all steps to ensure that the right people join the yatra. On Friday, slain journalist-turned-activist Gouri Lankesh’s mother Indira and sister Kavita joined the yatra briefly, while the former Congress president met people to discuss National Education Policy.

In the “Sugar City” of Mandya, Rahul Gandhi met with farmers to discuss their issues, while party leaders took extra care to maximise the benefits by attempting to woo the dominant Vokkaliga community and downsizing H D Deve Gowda’s fiefdom.

The ‘yatris’ were taking a break for the night at Adichunchanagiri Matha, a high seat of spirituality for the Vokkaligas. The yatra also had its ‘Kodak moments’ when Rahul addressed a crowd in Karnataka during a downpour and bent to tie his mother Sonia’s shoelaces.