Rahul Gandhi’s route to Delhi passes via Uttar Pradesh, but there are restrictions. Ayodhya Out, Former Congress Turfs In

With only one Lok Sabha seat, Congress knows it has to do well in the North to refute the perception that it has become a purely South-based party.

What’s more, Uttar Pradesh is crossed on the route to the Center. When the UPA ruled in 2009, the state gave it 22 seats. It’s down to one now. Even worse, Rahul Gandhi lost in Amethi, the stronghold of his family.

The Congress now wants a transformation. As a result, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, as its second chapter has been called, will go across 20 districts over 1,074 kilometers for 11 days in Uttar Pradesh. This is not the case with the first leg of the yatra, where UP was added at the last minute and was not included on the map. Before it reached Haryana, it had only traversed three districts, all of which were in Meerut.

The locations that the yatra will pass during this time are important. Varanasi, Amethi, and Rae Bareli are the three stops.

In the political sphere, Rahul Gandhi’s choice to avoid Ayodhya, where the BJP intends to profit from the Ram Mandir show, has also drawn notice. “We don’t want to do anything which will stoke a political controversy,” a senior party insider said. Rahul Gandhi could, however, decide to make a detour and visit Ayodhya.

Narendra Modi represents Varanasi, and Mamata Banerjee recently suggested at the INDIA front conference that Priyanka Vadra run against the prime minister. If Vadra makes her election debut, it is improbable that a party that like to play it safe—especially when it comes to the Gandhis—will run her from Varanasi. However, the yatra’s itinerary via Varanasi indicates that the party is prepared for a pitched struggle with the prime minister.

The purpose of the yatra’s journey through Amethi and Rae Bareli is primarily to defend the territory that the Grand Old Party once held, particularly in Amethi, where Smriti Irani emerged as a formidable killer and humiliated Rahul Gandhi. Even though Rahul Gandhi told voters that Amethi is his home, he has only made two trips there since. This has raised questions about who he and Priyanka Vadra will face Irani.

It seems that Rae Bareli lacks confidence in the Congress. The only member of parliament, Sonia Gandhi, has seldom ever visited her district. Priyanka Vadra, who used to manage it for her mother, hasn’t done so either. In this seat, things have changed. This MLA, Aditi Singh, resigned to become a member of the BJP. She is the daughter of Akhilesh Singh, the late politician who is still revered in this place. Should the BJP put her against Sonia Gandhi, the contest could prove to be challenging. Congress detects a restlessness among the people who are complaining about their MP’s absence. Or is here where Rahul Gandhi’s fielding preparations are made?

Will the yatra prove to be the Gandhis’ salvation in Uttar Pradesh as the Congress gets ready?