@Evening: 🛣️ Did The 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' Help The Congress At All?

❓ What's changed for Rahul or the Congress ❓

It's been 50 days since Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra came to a close.

Context: The Congress party thought it was a success, but results on the ground, even within the party, tell a different story.

• Fair to say, good electoral dividends would be a byproduct of a successful yatra.

• But the party's poor showing in the north-eastern states Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya point out that the yatra failed to revive voter confidence.

• Despite talk of restructuring the organisation and improving internal democracy, the Congress has failed to deliver on its commitment.

• The election for the party president played out as a scripted drama, with Mallikarjun Kharge, the Gandhi-approved candidate, sweeping the polls.

• By avoiding the much-anticipated elections to the Congress Working Committee, the party chose to keep the real power within the Gandhi family circle.

Trust remains low. The recent admission by George Soros of his aversion for the Modi government, coupled with the BBC documentary on the 2002 riots, has reminded people of the narrative war India is up against.

• The support the Congress has been receiving from Soros' organisation, Open Society Foundation, has come to light.

• During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Open Society Foundation's vice president, Salil Shetty, walked alongside Rahul Gandhi (11 October 2022).

• Rahul Gandhi's alignment with "intellectuals" and "activists" known for spreading anti-India rhetoric has eroded trust in his intentions.

• Not to forget, Anil Antony, the son of veteran Congress leader A K Antony, quit the party after he faced backlash from colleagues for opposing the BBC's interference in India's internal affairs.

• It's especially concerning that Rahul Gandhi's insistence on calling India a "Union of States" has found resonance with Khalistani supporter Amritpal Singh's demand for a separate state of Khalistan.

Old ways fail to inspire confidence. The Wayanad MP has been notorious for his image as a “part-time politician” and “full-time traveller.”

• The Bharat Jodo Yatra was supposed to dispel such an image and present him as a serious political leader.

• But after the yatra ended, Gandhi appeared to revert to his old, vacationing ways.

• Most recently, he travelled to Cambridge for a lecture on "The Art of Listening."

• His frequent visits abroad raise concerns about his commitment.

• More so because some of the conspiracies against India get hatched outside the country.

Bottom line: The Congress has announced plans for another yatra, this time on an east-west axis.

• They would be wise to re-think their move before proceeding on yet another image-building exercise for Rahul Gandhi.

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