In Congress ‘Mother’ Land: With Bharat Jodo, Can Sonia Gandhi Repeat 2004 Show Despite Generation Leap?

In 2004, when it seemed that the Congress had little chance to take on the mighty Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the Prime Minister (PM), who seemed difficult to defeat, Sonia Gandhi decided to take to the streets. Much like her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, who, as Sonia Gandhi admitted, was her mentor in politics.

Sonia Gandhi launched the Jan Sampark Abhiyan largely restricted to Uttar Pradesh. She would travel from village to village, make impromptu stops and photo ops with children and women. It worked for the party as not only did the Congress ensure, along with its allies, the ouster of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but in UP, too, it won more than 21 Lok Sabha seats.

Eight years later, her son Rahul Gandhi took a leaf from his mother’s book and is leading the pan-India Bharat Jodo Yatra.

But this time after long, Sonia Gandhi, too, has decided to join in, albeit for a few hours. She will walk from Mandya in Karnataka, carefully chosen as this is a poll-bound state and response so far has been good.

SOUTH INDIA TO THE RESCUE?

Karnataka and Sonia Gandhi have a connect. In fact, whenever the Gandhis have been in crisis, south India has bailed them out politically. Indira Gandhi fought from two southern constituencies ? Chikmaglur in Karnataka and Medak in Andhra Pradesh in 1980.

The reason why Indira Gandhi chose Chikmaglur was because post the 1977 Lok Sabha polls, when Emergency took its toll on the Congress electorally, the former PM looked for a safe seat. The now famous slogan – ‘Ek sherni, sau langoor, Chikmaglur, Chikmaglur’ – was coined. She won. In 1980, she didn’t want to take any chance so she also contested from Medak along with Rae Bareili, which she gave up.

In fact, Sonia Gandhi, too, contested from Bellary in Karnataka along with Amethi, fearing that the BJP would ensure her defeat from the family bastion. Despite trying to file her nomination secretly in Bellary, the BJP came to know and put up Sushma Swaraj against Sonia Gandhi, although the latter won.

Rahul Gandhi, too, opted for safe Wayanad in Kerala, when the party sensed that he could lose from Amethi. Since then, the Congress has devised a south plan.

South India, if we count Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, comprises a little more than 157 Lok Sabha seats. Aware that the regional parties have made inroads in these states like YSR, TRS, the Congress’s hopes are more on south rather than north India. Hence a ‘Mission South’ for the Congress.

And Sonia Gandhi, for many in the south, strikes a chord vis-a-vis Indira Gandhi and the party hopes that with her stepping into the yatra, they will see Indira amma and this could help.

Mandya, where she will join the yatra is known for its beauty and religious sentiments. Given the state of the Congress, it could do with some divine help.

Sources say post Karnataka, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, too, may join the yatra at some point. With women in south India being important vote banks, Sonia Gandhi taking to the streets can be an advantage.

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