This Friday marks 100 days since Congress started its 3,570-km Bharat Jodo Yatra. Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu is the starting point, and Jammu and Kashmir is the endpoint. In celebration of the 100th day, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, his deputy Mukesh Agnihotri, and her Congress counterpart in the hill state Pratibha Singh joined the Yatra’s torchbearer Rahul Gandhi.
It’s supposed to bring the nation together, strengthen it, and address social polarization, says the Congress. As it travelled through Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan over the past 100 days, the Yatra made headlines. Rahul has gotten support from IT pros, doctors, actors, political analysts, farmers and transgender people. As a candidate, he’s held rallies where he’s promised to solve the public’s problems.
A lot of walking, controversy, and Rahul’s philosophical musings in 100 days of Bharat Jodo Yatra
Wayanad MP Rajiv Gandhi paid his respects at his father’s memorial in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur on the first day of his five-month Yatra through 12 states and 2 union territories.
Social media has been awash with the Congress leader’s various activities since the beginning of the Yatra — his rally in Mysuru during massive rains, snake boat races in Kerala, talking to Kerala girls about BTS, tying his mother’s shoelace, etc.
Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister M K Stalin gave Gandhi the Tricolour on September 7, which kicked off the Padayatra. Senior Congress leaders attended the launching ceremony, like K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Digvijay Singh, Bhupesh Baghel, and Ashok Gehlot.
Rahul Gandhi was asked to fill his vehicles’ tanks in BJP-run states to save money a few days into his Yatra by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
We also request @RahulGandhi to nudge his UPA partners, especially the @arivalayam govt, to honour their poll promises by reducing the petrol & diesel rates.
We also urge that you fill the tanks of the vehicles in your convoy in BJP-ruled states to save money! (10/10)
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) September 6, 2022
After 4 days in Tamil Nadu, the walk moved on to Kerala. Following Kerala for a day, it entered Karnataka before heading back into Tamil Nadu.
Kerala
Shashi Tharoor, a senior Congress leader and MP, welcomed Gandhi and his supporters on September 10 when they entered Kerala. While the Yatra got a lot of support in the state, Congress got flak when one of the posters featured V D Savarkar. Savarkar’s picture was covered with Mahatma Gandhi’s by party workers, but the damage had already been done.
Welcomed @rahulgandhi to Kerala on his arrival from Tamil Nadu. He’s drenched with sweat but cheerful and upbeat. Looking forward to joining him in the #BharatJodoYatra from 7 am tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/vjKsKij1Mr
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 10, 2022
Karnataka
After 18 days in Kerala, Rahul’s Yatra entered Karnataka on September 29. Media attention was focused on this leg since then-Congress president Sonia Gandhi joined. Despite being there only for the first phase of the Yatra’s seventh day, a huge crowd watched her.
Among the participants were the mother and sister of journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was assassinated on September 5, 2017. Rahul expressed his support for the slain journalist.
Gauri stood for Truth
Gauri stood for Courage
Gauri stood for FreedomI stand for Gauri Lankesh and countless others like her, who represent the true spirit of India.
Bharat Jodo Yatra is their voice.
It can never be silenced. pic.twitter.com/TIpMIu36nY— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 7, 2022
No excuses. Only passion.
There is no hurdle big enough to stop #BharatJodoYatra from achieving its goal. pic.twitter.com/puKgKeVZ1E
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 2, 2022
No excuses. Only passion.
There is no hurdle big enough to stop #BharatJodoYatra from achieving its goal. pic.twitter.com/puKgKeVZ1E
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 2, 2022
Andhra Pradesh
The Yatra went to Andhra after Karnataka on October 18. Since 2014, Andhra Pradesh hasn’t had a Congress MLA or MP. Since the state was bifurcated, the party has lost ground to the YSRCP.
Telangana
Rahul Gandhi’s supporters entered Telangana on October 23 through Gudeballur in Mahabubnagar district, where the Yatra entered. A total of 19 assembly segments and seven parliamentary constituencies were traversed on this walk.
The 55th day of the Yatra took the Yatra to Hyderabad, where the mother of Dalit activist Rohith Vemula joined it. After the activist committed suicide in 2016, nationwide protests erupted; Rahul visited University of Hyderabad to join in. Later, he tweeted that he felt more courageous after the meeting.
रोहित वेमुला, सामाजिक भेदभाव और अन्याय के विरुद्ध मेरे संघर्ष का प्रतीक है, और रहेगा।
रोहित की माताजी से मिल कर, यात्रा के लक्ष्य की ओर बढ़ रहे कदमों को नया साहस, और मन को नई शक्ति मिली। pic.twitter.com/7XrVSqnptF
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 1, 2022
Maharashtra
It got a fancy welcome from the Maharashtra state unit when it entered on November 7. The leg started in Nanded. Party MP Supriya Sule and former minister Jitendra Awhad walked with Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil to a rally in Nanded. Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) symbolizes the strength of the unusual alliance, with leaders from both parties. Jairam Ramesh handled Rahul’s pointed attack on Hindutva idealogue Savarkar well, despite making the Shiv Sena a little uncomfortable. It’s okay to disagree on certain things, he said.
In addition to civil society activists, rights groups, NGOs and organizations, many of which had protested against the Congress-led UPA II government, joined the Yatra. In addition to discussing the cooperative movement, Ambedkarite movement, youth, tribals, and women issues, Rahul talked about the state’s cooperative movement. Rahul was accompanied by Medha Patkar, a social activist who says the BJP has closed dialogue with those with different views. The party is willing to talk with us about those differences. The yatra’s about constitutional values, so that’s why I’m joining,” she said.
Madhya Pradesh
The Yatra crossed into the Hindi heartland on November 23. In Burhanpur district, Rahul was joined by his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. In addition to Priyanka, Robert and Raihan were also there. Since the BJP ruled the state, Congress lost its stalwart leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and a sitting government in the state.
Congress was at the center of a major controversy when the BJP claimed pro-Pakistan slogans were raised at a Yatra rally. Congress called the BJP’s clip “doctored” and threatened legal action against those who tried to “defame” it.
भारत जोड़ो यात्रा में पाकिस्तान जिंदाबाद के नारे लगना, यह भारत जोड़ना है या भारत को तोड़ने वालों को साथ जोड़ना है। पहले भी भारत तोड़ा है, क्या फिर भारत तोड़ने का इरादा है?
पाकिस्तान जिंदाबाद के नारे लगाने वाले किसी भी कीमत पर बचेंगे नहीं, उनके खिलाफ सख्त कार्रवाई की जायेगी।
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) November 25, 2022
Rajasthan
Rajasthan’s leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra started on 4th December. There were early pictures of Gandhi shaking a leg with the folk artists, along with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and party leaders Sachin Pilot, Kamal Nath, and Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govind Singh Dotasra.
Yatra comes at a crucial time since the state will go to elections next year despite the political fight between Gehlot and Pilot. There’s going to be a test of the truce between the two. It made headlines when Raghuram Rajan participated in the Yatra. According to the BJP, Rajan thinks he’s the next Manmohan Singh.
Raghuram Rajan, former RBI Governor, a Congress appointee, joining Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is not a surprise. He fancies himself as the next Manmohan Singh. Just that his commentary on India’s economy should be discarded with disdain. It is coloured and opportunistic…
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 14, 2022
Bharat Jodo Yatra is expected to continue through Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Punjab before ending in Jammu and Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi’s image is going to be revamped with this move to not only establish Congress as a viable alternative to the BJP in 2024. Along with several state versions, the Grand Old Party plans to hold such Yatras from the Eastern to the Western corners of the country.
