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Bharat Jodo Yatra: Rahul Gandhi to cover 150 km across four districts in Haryana
As per party leaders, the Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Panipat district in Haryana from Shamli in Uttar Pradesh on January 5.
The second phase of the 150-km ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Haryana is being seen as an attempt by the party to regain its lost ground in the GT Road (NH-44) belt of Haryana.
The focus of this week-long foot march will be on the GT Road belt. Congress leaders, especially those associated with the Bhupinder Singh Hooda camp, are camping in Panipat, Karnal and Kurukshetra districts for the past few days urging people to join the yatra in large numbers.
As per party leaders, the yatra will enter Panipat district from Shamli in Uttar Pradesh on January 5 and Rahul will address a rally in Panipat on January 6. During his six days stay in Haryana, Rahul will spend two days in Panipat and one day each in Karnal, Kurukshetra and Ambala districts before the yatra enters Punjab on January 10. In Karnal, he will watch a kabaddi match and in Kurukshetra he will visit religious places and also join the “aarti” at Brahma Sarovar on January 8.
Political observers say the yatra is being considered as an attempt to target the GT Road belt of the state, which was once considered a strong hold of the Congress. But now most of the seats from these districts went to the ruling BJP after the Modi wave swept the 2014 general election.
“In the past three assembly elections the GT Road belt of the state had played a key role in the formation of the government in the state. Even the party had improved its performance in the Jatland in 2019 but now the Congress has realised the need to shift its focus to GT road as well,” said a political observer and retired professor, Ramji Lal.
“Also, the elevation of Manohar Lal Khattar, a Punjabi as the chief minister by the BJP in 2014, had proved costly to the Congress in the Punjabi-dominated constituencies of the GT Road belt, now this yatra seems another attempt by the Congress to appease the non-Jats, especially the Punjabi community as well,” he added.
Even as all Congress leaders in the state are working hard to mark their presence in the yatra, it has to be seen whether the yatra will unite the party leadership of the state. Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, his MP son Deepender Hooda and Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Udai Bhan held several meetings in the state to request party workers to bring thousands of people to the Panipat rally.
Kiran Choudhry is also holding meeting with her supporters in different parts of the state and requesting them to ensure their presence in the yatra.
“We are enthusiastic about the yatra as it will help create a wave in the favour of the Congress in the state. But it is up to the state leadership whether they will be able to convert it into votes in 2024,” said Kiran Choudhry. On whether this yatra will unite the leaders of Haryana Congress, she said, “In 2005, the Congress had returned to power in Haryana as it presented a united face and now the unity is must and all party leaders should work for the party instead self-projection.”
