Bharat Jodo Yatra: Rahul Gandhi gathers praises but has a ways to go

The decision of Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, to express solidarity with the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has caused a stir in political circles.

In a letter sent on New Year’s eve, Das – who has been the head priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple for the past three decades –  said he wished Gandhi’s mission of “Sarvajan Sukhay Sarvajan Hitaya” (happiness for all, welfare for all) all  success.

Later, speaking to local reporters, Das said: “I wrote a letter to Rahul to send him my blessings for his mission of uniting all people in the country. The country’s prosperity is only possible if different castes and religions come together.”

This comes even as other Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh – the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party – decided not to join the march despite being invited by the Congress.

However, Sharad Sharma, regional media in-charge of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, cautioned against reading too much into the priest’s gesture. “The good wishes extended by Acharya Satyendra Das and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Champat Rai (also on Tuesday) for the yatra were in good faith and a courtesy. There are no political connotations to it. The seer extended his greetings on the request of local Congress leaders in Ayodhya. It is our tradition to extend wishes to someone embarking on a new journey. It is unfortunate that vested interests are trying to derive political meaning out of something innocuous.”

But this much is true: Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to reclaim lost political ground in UP (the Congress won two seats out of 402 in the 2022 Assembly elections) are serious. But his supporters in the party ask if the Hindu endorsement to his yatra should be considered equivalent to the Muslims turning away from the party.

A Union minister from the BJP says: “The yatra has brought a leader out of Rahul Gandhi. The seriousness that was missing from his persona can be seen.” Using the lexicon of air pollution in Delhi, he says: “This yatra has brought him to the ‘poor’ category from the ‘severe’ category”.

This is, at best, grudging acknowledgement that Gandhi’s yatra is drawing public support.

But the Congress itself apparently wants to play down the religious endorsement.

Says Akhilesh Pratap Singh, Congress leader and former UP legislator: “Tens of thousands of people are associating themselves with the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which has been garnering overwhelming response wherever it has traversed. Now, people have realised that only Congress offers a credible and viable alternative to the BJP and its narrative built on hate and false promises. The people have resolved to support Rahul Gandhi and affirm faith in his leadership. The days of the BJP are numbered and Congress will win all the coming state elections this year and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under his leadership”.

The Congress’s dilemma was encapsulated by the reaction of the SP.  Party spokesperson Juhie Singh said: “Every political party has a distinct manner in which it communicates with the people and makes public contact. In fact, SP has long been organising such yatras and marches all over the state to mobilise support on core issues pertaining to the youth, farmers, inflation etc. Our party does not think that the Bharat Jodo Yatra poses any threat to our political landscape in the state.”

What is undeniable is that Gandhi’s yatra is an opportunity for his party and could pose a threat to the parties arrayed against it, including the BJP. But the reaction to the yatra from UP, which is important electorally, is still being processed by voters. This suggests that at least for now, endorsement for the Congress from Ayodhya does not mean automatic political endorsement from the Hindu community and that non-Congress Opposition parties have suspended judgment on it.