Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra might have created quite a buzz during its Uttar Pradesh leg but parties say no political meaning should be attached to their leaders welcoming the march in the state, and that it would be premature to link it with opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Political leaders of main opposition Samajwadi Party and BSP had wished success to the yatra in Uttar Pradesh through separate tweets, while the RLD had joined the yatra in the state after receiving an invitation for participation.
RLD workers were seen at the yatra which traversed through western region of the state, the stronghold of the party. However, RLD president Jayant Chaudhary was missing as he was out of the country at that time.
“The workers of the RLD welcomed the Bharat Jodo Yatra as Rahul Gandhi has set out to strengthen brotherhood against communal politics and the president of RLD Jayant Chaudhary also is convening ‘bhaichara sammelans’ all over UP for the same purpose,” RLD national spokesman Anil Dubey said.
He said every leader or worker, who talks about ‘bhaichara’ or fights against communal forces will be welcomed by the RLD.
Gandhi was on a yatra in Baghpat in western Uttar Pradesh where the tradition has been since the time of Chaudhary Charan Singh to welcome all guests and the Congress leader had come for a good mission so the RLD welcomed him, Dubey said.
However, Dubey said no political significance should be attached to their decision to welcome Gandhi.
“There is no need to derive political meaning into every move, he (Rahul Gandhi) is out on a good mission, a non-political move and so we have welcomed it,” he said.
Airing similar views, Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said, “There is no link of the yatra with politics.
“Akhileshji had extended moral support to the yatra, a sentimental support. It has nothing to do with opposition unity.The yatra is not an issue of political polarisation,” he said.
Both Dubey and Chaudhary feel that elections and electoral understanding are a faraway thing as of now.
“Politically we are with the Samajwadi Party and in 2024 will fight in alliance. With whom we have to join hands is an important decision which will be taken by the national presidents of RLD and SP. Political decision are taken by the high command,” Dubey said.
He added, “We already have a strong alliance in UP with the Samajwadi Party to defeat BJP and both are working together”.
Rajendra Chaudhary said who will go where in the next election is an issue which will take shape much later.
As of now there is also no question regarding the elections, it is the SP agenda that communalism should be countered. All anti-communal forces are welcome to fight this battle but talking about any understanding is premature.
Interestingly, BSP MP from Jaunpur Shyam Singh Yadav participated in the yatra in Delhi and termed it as his personal decision.
“I got a personal invitation from Rahul Gandhi and it was my personal decision to go. It had nothing to do with the party,” the BSP MP had said.
“There was no instruction from the party to go nor did I ask for permission from the party. The aim of the yatra is good, all understand that the chasm being created between different religions and sections should be turned into love,” Yadav stressed and said that his participation should not be viewed as a sign that he was moving to another party.
Yadav, BSP MP from Jaunpur, had joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra when it entered Delhi. He walked with Gandhi for about three hours through various areas across the national capital.
Senior Congress leader and former MP P L Punia stressed that Gandhi has himself said that it is a non-political yatra and it should not be attached with politics.
“The yatra is aimed at removing the raging problems which have hit the common people in the recent past and, therefore, people of other parties and sections are coming to yatra,” Punia said.
“It is the Congressmen who are mainly associated with the yatra and taking inspiration from it. Bharat Jodo Yatra’s aim is not political and linking it to election is premature.
“Politics and alliances are issues which have to keep several aspects in mind. Timing is also not such that it should be considered a political yatra since elections are a long time away”, Punia added.
While the SP and Congress had come together for the assembly elections in 2017, the Akhilesh Yadav headed party had forged an alliance with Mayawati in the 2019 general election.
However, in the 2022 assembly elections, the SP joined hands with the RLD and some regional parties while the BSP and the Congress went on their own in the polls in the most populous state.
With the next general election not far away, talks have begun about chances of opposition unity to take on the BJP in Uttar Pradesh which send maximum 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.
The Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra was in Uttar Pradesh for three days this week.
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