Rahul yatra unlikely to change the fortunes of Congress in Andhra

Vijayawada: Will the Congress in Andhra Pradesh get a fresh lease of life with Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' as it is claimed to be, among the Congress circles, bonding the party cadres greatly all along the route traversed by him so far?

It is a short yatra for the former president of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, in Andhra Pradesh. It was more of a detour for him through D Hirehal mandal on the border of AP-Karnataka to Bellary via Obulapuram on Friday. And Rahul Gandhi preferred a non-specific interaction with his party leaders who received him.

According to G Rudraraju, AICC secretary, incharge of the yatra programme in AP, "he did not refer to any AP specific issue but talked about the goals of the yatra.

He reiterated the purpose of the yatra and asked all of us to work for unifying people. We appeal to the people to make the programme a success."

However, the party may get a 'direction' from Rahul during his second lap of AP tour on at least two key issues, Amaravati and Polavaram, for the party to pursue, it is being said.

Whie a large crowd greeted him at Anantapur district, a similar response is expected when he steps back into the state through Adoni belt via Aluru on October 18. It will be a four-day lap in AP in the second phase with Rahul walking through Adoni, Yammiganur, Mantralayam and Madhavaram to re-enter Karnataka. This time around, he also sought to meet delegations from Amaravati and Polavaram (oustees), of unemployed youth, DWCRA groups, Dalit Christians, NREGS and RMP/PMP practitioners.

Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra is skirting some important states too in the country like Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat and only has a few days in Uttar Pradesh which has drawn flak from the Opposition. However, his padayatra's route is said to have been drawn intelligently keeping in view the 'Congress Jodo' necessity and to infuse confidence among the cadres. Of course, the primary aim of the yatra is to erase the image of 'pappu' and to endear the Gandhi-Nehru pariwar leader to the people.

Perhaps, that is why AP does not figure much in the calculus of the Congress. Rahul has been accorded a grand welcome by the AP Congress president, Sailajanath and former president, N Raghuveera Reddy, former MP K V P Ramachandra Rao and other senior leaders along with a large number of cadres who converged on the border yesterday.

It is said that Rahul inquired about his party's health with the local leaders of AP but the picture painted was not rosy for him – a truthful one of course. The stature of the Congress party has diminished in AP alarmingly and its revival may not be possible in at least a decade from now. As a party that bifurcated the Telugus into two, the party has taken a beating as never before in the residual State while equally losing ground in Telangana State.

Unless the party comes out of its hibernation and self-denial its future will be bleak.