Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday danced with members of tribal communities performing 'Dhimsa' - a traditional folk dance that originated in Odisha but is now also popular in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. A video shared by the Congress on Twitter shows Gandhi dancing with performers in traditional attire to the rhythmic beat of various musical instruments.
Rahul Gandhi is leading his party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' - an attempt by the opposition party to reconnect with its grassroots ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election - and is in Telangana today, after having walked through parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
On Wednesday actor Pooja Bhatt joined the march and walked 10 km in Hyderabad. She tweeted photos and a video message shared by the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' Twitter handle, one of which said, "To talk about love in times of hate is an act of rebellion."
{{/usCountry}}On Wednesday actor Pooja Bhatt joined the march and walked 10 km in Hyderabad. She tweeted photos and a video message shared by the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' Twitter handle, one of which said, "To talk about love in times of hate is an act of rebellion."
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Earlier videos shared by the Congress also showed the Wayanad MP dancing with tribals, particpating in a boat race, doing push-ups with children and connecting with transgenders and other marginalised members of society. Earlier Gandhi – who is a black belt in Aikido --was also seen interacting with a karate kid and correcting his technique.
The Congress and Gandhi have pointed to massive crowds in each state to claim support for the campaign and its fortunes ahead of multiple state elections next year, including in Karnataka, Telangana and party-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, with national polls due in two years.
The yatra - which rivals Bharatiya Janata Party calls 'Bharat Todo Yatra' - began September 7 and will cover 3,570 km across 12 states and two union territories over a five-month period.