Finally, the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra lead by Rahul Gandhi has concluded successfully at Srinagar by unfurling the National Flag at historic Lal Chowk in a backdrop of Rahul's huge cut-out. Initially, as declared, the Tricolor was to be unfurled at JKPCC headquarter at MA Road, Srinagar. How the venue of the culmination of BJY got changed is not known.
On concluding day, a pheran-clad Rahul Gandhi delivered the final speech of his 4000-kilometer yatra to a moderately attended audience at the SK Cricket stadium amidst snow fall.
However, the atmosphere it created was a fitting conclusion to the yatra. Gandhi stated that the goal of his Bharat Jodo Yatra was not political but to save the country's liberal and secular ethos, which he claims is under attack from the BJP government while in the same breath, he distanced himself from the yatra's political motivations, claiming that it was fundamentally anti-BJP ideology.
Significantly, Gandhi was joined by major Kashmiri leaders such as Omer Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who both gave speeches at the yatra's conclusion. However, no major leaders from the major opposition parties from the rest of India, were present. As a result, the opposition unity that the yatra was supposed to usher in has yet to materialise.
What next from here? The BJY is over and Congress leaders will be back to their job as usual. It is still difficult to provide a clear answer to this question. True, the yatra has generated a large amount of goodwill for the Congress and Gandhi, but the political landscape has yet to shift. No other national leader, let alone Gandhi, comes close to Prime Minister Modi's all-powerful dominating leadership.
On his way, Rahul Gandhi addressed 12 public meetings, over 100 corner meetings, 13 press conferences and more than 275 planned walking interactions besides about 100 sitting interactions.
Congress, in its current form, appears to be no match for it. And this at a time when the party is facing stiff competition from the AAP, which is attempting to fill the political void left by the former.
Political analysts opine that the think tank of Congress has focused on the change of image of Rahul Gandhi's personality, motivating the party cadres and leaders in the country to take on Modi's strong BJP in ensuing nine assemblies in 2023, and then the parliamentary polls in 2024. It is also an attempt to bring transformation to Rahul's image for countrywide acceptance, to fill the void of opposition leader.
In this backdrop, the analysts do admit that Rahul's Yatra could be billed as Congress party's biggest mass contact programme since independence which may re-energize the demoralized workers besides creating confidence amongst people whose woes and survival problems were highlighted during the entire route.
The Lok Sabha polls are scheduled for early 2024 and still one year away, and a lot can happen during that time. In politics, a year is a long time. As things currently stand, only a united opposition could be expected to challenge the BJP. Gandhi has been attempting to forge opposition unity, but there are only flimsy indications that he has been successful. Bringing all of the opposition parties together on one platform will be difficult, especially since several regional leaders have personal ambitions. For the time being, however, Congress can take heart from Gandhi's successful yatra and hope to build on it.
People may appreciate one thing that there is at least one leader of the national party in the entire opposition who has embarked upon the Yatra to highlight their woes which are being ignored and conveniently put under the carpet by the Modi government.
