On Wednesday, Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal announced the Bharat Nyay Yatra (earlier Bharat Jodo Yatra) to start on January 14 and is led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
This yatra will begin in Manipur and end in Maharashtra, covering 14 states from January 14 to March 20, 2024.
The Congress leader in a press conference said, “Rahul Gandhi will cover 6,200km distance during the 65-day march, traversing 14 states and 85 districts.”
The states include Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, to be covered during the yatra.
However, this entire program will be undertaken on a bus as the previous one.
About Bharat Nyay Yatra and Motive Behind It:
Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Nyay Yatra aims to connect with the people of India and to listen to their concerns over several things. As the yatra starts in the first quarter of the year, it could come as an opportunity for the Congress to reestablish itself as a national power. And to boost the party’s popularity ahead of the Lok Sabha election 2024. Some specific issues that are expected through this yatra are-
In social justice, Congress will propose several measures to promote social justice on discrimination, religious freedom, employment, and much more.
Economic inequality, Congress always criticised the BJP on economic policies, which claims an advantage for the rich and a disadvantage for the poor. That’s why Congress, through this yatra, will address economic inequality.
Secularism and democracy, the Congress raised concerns about the erosion of secularism and democracy under the BJP-led government and is planning to propose expanding the number of measures on democracy, secularism, and the Bill of Rights through the yatra.
Why was the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” replaced with “Bharat Nyay Yatra”?
The Congress replaced the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” with “Bharat Nyay Yatra” because they felt the name was vague and didn’t reflect the party’s goal, which focused on social justice and economic inequality.
Secondly, they thought the new name would be more accurate resonate with many Indians, and connect more people during the yatra.
Moreover, as the BJP has been in political power for eight years, the Congress felt that the new name would be more challenging to the BJP, as the name would highlight the BJP’s failure and intend to attract more voters towards the INC.
Possible Outcomes:
Increased popularity and support: The yatra will help to increase the popularity and help to connect with more Indians, who are having same vision and motive as the Congress.
Enhance unity and morale: The yatra will add more people from different backgrounds to the party which will enhance the party’s unity and morale.
Agenda setting: This yatra could be a platform to articulate the policies and vision for India to shape the national agenda.
Furthermore, it will help Congress identify talented and potential individuals to strengthen the party’s network and leadership.
Is it a major concern for the BJP?
Well, it will be difficult to say whether this yatra is a major concern for the BJP. But we can go through some possibilities on why it might be a concern for the BJP.
BJP has a strong opponent, that is, the Congress. This yatra might give or appeal maximum number of voters while posing a threat to BJP’s dominance. Also, if Rahul Gandhi successfully connects with the voters on the issues, then it could eradicate the public’s belief in the BJP’s policies and might raise questions about the BJP’s performance. So, the BJP needs to gear up to counterattack the INC ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
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