Karnataka polls: Bharat Jodo Impact - Rahul Gandhi rise & victory trail

When the 3,500km Bharat Jodo Yatra kicked off from Kanyakumari last September, it had two main objectives-rebuff the "divisive and communal" politics of RSS-BJP and re-energise Congress cadres to boost the party's electoral prospects.

Congress's resounding victory in Karnataka made good on both, and the impact of the Bharat Jodo Yatra was the talking point amid celebrations.

For one, the yatra, whose longest leg - spanning 21 days - was in Karnataka, laid the foundation for the party's spirited electoral performance. Of the seven districts through which the cross-country march travelled - Ballari, Chamarajanagar, Chitradurga, Mandya, Mysuru, Raichur and Tumakuru - Congress swept more than two-third of the assembly constituencies, bagging 37 of 51, and significantly improving its tally from 18 seats in 2018.

The second was the mass connect Rahul Gandhi was able to establish, not only with the local populace, but with Congress footsoldiers. This, party managers insisted, was more significant than the final numbers Congress notched up. Visuals of Rahul addressing a rally in Mysuru amid blinding rain became a lasting image of the yatra.


"The intangible impact was uniting the party, reviving the cadre and shaping the narrative for the Karnataka elections. It was during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, from the many conversations Rahul Gandhi had with the people of Karnataka, that the guarantees and promises in our manifesto were discussed and finalised," Rajya Sabha MP and Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said.

In addition to the wider impact that was felt across all 51 assembly constituencies in the seven districts covered during the yatra, Congress specifically improved its performance in 20 constituencies, bumping up its tally from five in 2018 to 15, getting the better of just BJP but also JDS in its bastions of Tumakuru and Mandya. BJP, which previously took nine of the 20 seats, could only win two. JDS, which had won 6, was downsized by half.

With the initial mobilisation done, the final push came in the form of hectic campaigning led by Rahul and his sister, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. The 'bhai-behen' combo that BJP president JP Nadda had intended to be a barb at the Congress brass eventually delivered the crucial Karnataka polls to the grand old party.

Together, Rahul and Priyanka spent over 20 days campaigning in the poll-bound state. Shouldering the responsibility of taking the aggressive, no-holds-barred campaign past the finishing line, Rahul addressed 23 public programmes while Priyanka led 22 campaign rallies. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi finished off with one public rally at the end of the campaign.

The Karnataka campaign also saw Priyanka take centrestage alongside Rahul, showing her growing role in the party beyond her current assignment in Uttar Pradesh, where she is general secretary in-charge. From leading public rallies and road shows, to engaging in one-on-one campaigns that included serving crispy dosas and interacting with women's groups, Priyanka and Rahul divided their responsibilities to cover maximum ground and reach most target groups.

Party insiders said Rahul and Priyanka closely discussed campaign dates, target groups and electioneering strategies before hitting the campaign trail, successfully reinforcing the inherent message of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. "The Bharat Jodo Yatra started a particular narrative in Indian politics, which the people of India were waiting for," Congress's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said. "The big win means that the country is desperate to get united and reject those who are trying to divide the country," he said.
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