Rajasthan Cong views Yatra with both hope and apprehension

Jaipur, Oct 15 With the animosity between the two warring camps of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan further deepening, Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra is being seen as a much-needed momentum to revive the flagging spirit of the party cadre in the state.

Apparently, differences with regards to nominations for the party presidential poll spilled over into a slight rift between party high command and Chief Minister Gehlot. However, Gehlot opted out from the race later.

In the wake of these challenges, the long-serving Congress workers are both optimistic and apprehensive at the same time about the mega rally.

According to Congress leaders, the padayatra will enter Rajasthan in the first or second week of December via Jhalawar and proceed to Delhi via Sawai Madhopur and Alwar. It shall pass via Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur and Alwar before entering into Uttar Pradesh.

The yatra shall pass through Rajasthan for 21 days.

Gujarat Assembly polls around that time will make the rally all the more interesting.

Now, it is to be seen whether Rahul Gandhi's presence in Rajasthan will come before or after the change of guard in the desert state.

Exercising increased caution in view of the crisis during the nomination of the party's presidential candidate, Congress is likely to wait till Gujarat elections and then change the leadership in the desert state based on the state assembly result, a senior Congress worker said.

Some others said that Pilot will be made the CM after the Congress presidential polls.

Another worker said the Gehlot government's two ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi and RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore who were issued notice for an anti-disciplinary move for calling parallel meetings of MLAs to official CLP meetings, have returned from Delhi without any positive response.

"This indicates there is insecurity somewhere and hence we are keeping fingers crossed that all goes smooth during Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan," he added.

Meanwhile, amid all the apprehensions, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has inaugurated a flyover and named it as Bharat Jodo setu. Further, there is another set of workers who expressed their optimism towards this procession.

Swarnim Chaturvedi, Congress spokesperson in Rajasthan, said, "The worker on ground is quite optimistic with this yatra, He is the one who stands with firmness whenever required against opposition's policies.

"When a major protest was staged in Delhi during the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate, the majority of the workers were from Rajasthan. The party is making full preparations for the rally. This Yatra will have an impact on all 200 seats in Rajasthan."

Chaturvedi added: "Our ground-level workers want the government to repeat; they are toiling hard; post the Congress president's election, a meeting will be held to allocate responsibilities to workers."

He concluded by saying that the yatra will surely instill a new vigour in the Congress and connect with the masses.