The Congress party is undertaking the 3,570-km ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ that began at Kanniyakumari on September 7, 2022, and will end at Srinagar covering 12 States in 150 days. The party’s biggest mass contact programme in the recent times will see 119 leaders, including former party president Rahul Gandhi.

According to the Congress,  the Bharat Jodo Yatra has been uniting people across the country and has proved that people want to live in peace and coexist in communal amity.

Rahul Gandhi maintains that the Bharat Jodo Yatra is not for any political or personal interest, but against the politics of hate, fear and violence.

The idea has rallied the Left liberal intelligentsia around him, for sure. From actor Swara Bhaskar to activist Medha Patkar and from lawyer Prashant Bhushan to author Tushar Gandhi—the list is impressive. The only drawback in this list is that it’s drawn from Congress’ extended eco-system. It’s like preaching to the converted. That doesn’t help the Congress expand its support base and breach the BJP’s. When Bharat Jodo Yatra was conceptualised, it was meant to be a mass mobilisation programme to rejuvenate the party. It wasn’t supposed to be Rahul Gandhi’s tapasya or spiritual quest. He has made it truly apolitical so far as the Congress is concerned.

The Congress said that they started this movement to unite the country against the alleged “divisive politics” of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government at New Delhi. Launched by Gandhi and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on September 7, 2022, its main objective is to fight against the politics of “fear, bigotry and prejudice” and the economics of livelihood destruction, increasing unemployment and growing inequalities. The presidential election of the party was held during the movement. The party also formed a government on its own for the first time in 4 years during the movement.

Background

The Congress party launched the logo, tagline, and website for Bharat Jodo Yatra at AICC headquarters on 23 August 2022. The march started from Kanyakumari on 7 September. It will be a 3,570-kilometre long, 150-day ‘non-stop’ march that will cover 12 states and two Union Territories from across the country in which Gandhi will meet people during the day and will sleep in makeshift accommodation in the night.  Yatris are scheduled to cover a total of 23 kilometres everyday in 2 shifts. The march has as of December 2022 covered more than 3,000 kilometers. There are several parallels between the Congress’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and ex-prime minister of India Chandra Shekhar’s nearly 4,260 kilometers-long Bharat Yatra in 1983.

Many grassroots movements have been joining or endorsing the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress has also appealed to citizens, organizations, and movements to join the Yatra. More than 200 civil society members have appealed people to support Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra.

(7-13 September)

Rahul Gandhi launches the yatra at Kanyakumari after paying tributes to his late father Rajiv Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, and the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar on September 7. The Congress dubs the yatra as “India’s biggest mass contact program” where the concerns of the people will reach Delhi.

(14-20 September)

The yatra reached Kollam on 14 September, as Rahul Gandhi paid his respects to Sri Narayana Guru. He met local cashew workers there and promised to bring up their grievances in the upcoming parliamentary session.[33] The yatra entered various cities such as Kollam, Alappuzha, and Kochi during this week.

(21-27 September)

Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi in Kochi on 22 September. BJP leaders falsely alleged the break on 23 September in the yatra was in solidarity with the PFI. Hollywood actor John Cusack expressed his solidarity with Rahul Gandhi. A plea to regulate the Bharat Jodo Yatra was dismissed by Kerala High Court. Yatra entered Thrissur and Malappuram before entering Gudalur in Tamil Nadu on 29 September.

On 30 September, it entered Karnataka with huge crowds. Police started cracking down on the PayCM campaign. Rahul Gandhi paid floral tribues to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi. He also targeted the BJP on its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Karnataka.[ Yatra took a break at Mandya on 4 October.

(5-11 October)

Sonia Gandhi joined the yatra on 6 October, despite being unwell. Late journalist Gauri Lankesh’s family joined Bharat Jodo Yatra as it completed 30 days on the road. The yatra received an impressive response from the local public in Tumakuru district. It reached Chitradurga district on 11 October.

(11-17 October)

Rahul Gandhi met unemployed youth in Chitradurga district.[ The Congress stressed the importance of the Kannada language and regional languages like it. The yatra entered Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh on 14 October, getting a large crowd. It reentered Karnataka the day later, completing 1000 kilometers in Bellary district.

(18-24 October)

The yatra reentered Andhra Pradesh via Kurnool district on October 18, before entering into Karnataka again on 21 October. The yatra entered Telangana on 23 October, followed by a 3-day Diwali break.

(25-31 October)

The yatra resumed in Telangana on October 27 with massive crowds following the Diwali break. It passed through many major districts such as Mahabubnagar, Narayanpet, Sangareddy, and Ranga Reddy. On 29 October 2022, the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was joined by Tollywood actress Poonam Kaur during his walk towards Mahabubnagar district’s Jadcherla town.

(1-7 November)

On 1 November 2022, Late Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s mother joined to walk in Bharat Jodo Yatra along with Rahul Gandhi, en route to Hyderabad. Rahul Gandhi unfurled the national flag in front of the Charminar, over 32 years after his father and then party chief Rajiv Gandhi had started the Sadbhavna Yatra from the same spot in 19 October 1990. On 2 November 2022, actress and film maker Pooja Bhatt joined Rahul Gandhi in Bharat Jodo Yatra in Hyderabad on the 56th day of the yatra. On its 61st day, Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Maharashtra in evening of 7 November 2022.

(8-14 November)

On 10 November 2022, Bollywood actor Sushant Singh joined Bharat Jodo Yatra in Nanded, Maharashtra. On 11 November 2022, Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Hingoli district. The Bharat Jodo Yatra entered its 65th day since its beginning in September this year and fifth day in Maharashtra.

(15-21 November)

On 16 November 2022, activist Medha Patkar joined Bharat Jodo Yatra in Washim. On 17 November 2022, actress Riya Sen joined Bharat Jodo Yatra in Akola, Maharastra. Rahul Gandhi reiterated that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had helped the British. On 18 November 2022, Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi and actress Mona Ambegaonkar joined Rahul during Bharat Jodo Yatra in Shegaon in Buldhana district. On the day of birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi, actress Rashami Desai , Akanksha Puri and Nagma joined Bharat Jodo Yatra in Buldhana district on 19 November 2022. Actor Amol Palekar joined Bharat Jodo Yatra on its last day in Maharashtra in Jalgaon Jamod on 20 November 2022.

(22-28 November)

On 24 November 2022, Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra joined Bharat Jodo Yatra in Madhya Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi said in Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh that the goal of the yatra was a march against the hatred, violence and fear that is being spread in India. During the meeting with banana plantations and powerloom workers, from Burhanpur region Gandhi opined about unemployment and farm issues. Former CM of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijaya Singh underplayed the electoral impact of the yatra.

(29 November-5  December)

Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Rajasthan on 4 December 2022, a Congress ruled state for the first time. Rahul Gandhi said that Bharat Jodo Yatra has taught him things that cannot be learnt while travelling in any mode of transport, be it an aeroplane, a helicopter or any other mode. Rahul Gandhi and his fellow travelers were given a warm welcome at Chanwli Chauraha about 40 kms from Jhalawar city in a traditional Rajasthani style. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath danced with tribal dancers.

(6-12 December)

On 9 December 2022, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh informed that Bharat Jodo Yatra will take a nine-day break on December 25 and resume on January 3, 2023. On 11 December 2022, actress Digangana Suryavanshi joined Bharat Jodo Yatra in Bundi district.

(13-19 December)

On 13 December 2022, Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from Jeenapur in Sawai Madhopur district, Rajasthan. On 14 December 2022, Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan joined Bharat Jodo Yatra in Sawai Madhopur district.

Bharat Jodo yatra which started from Meena High Court in Dausa District completed 100 days on 16 December 2022. Himanchal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Mukesh Agnihotri deputy CM, the Congress’ chief of the state Pratibha Singh walked alongside Rahul Gandhi.The Padyatra  covered eight states in 100 days – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka,Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Issues of common man have been highlighted through the yatra , which is its biggest achievement. Singer Sunidhi Chauhan performed at a concert marking the completion of 100 days of Bharat Jodo Yatra, at Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur on 16 December 2022. On 19 December 2022, while addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Alwar, Rahul Gandhi highlighted the importance of English language and said that around 1,700 English medium schools have been opened in Rajasthan.

(20-26 December)

Former Punjab Chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi joined Bharat jodo yatra at Alwar in Rajasthan on 20 December. On 21 December 2022, Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Haryana from Mundaka border in Nuh district. Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from Patan Udaipuri in Nuh, Haryana after the flag handover ceremony. On 23 December 2022, DMK MP Kanimozhi joined Bharat Jodo Yatra in Haryana.