Curated to create frenzy, attract crowds and galvanize supporters, political yatras are meant towards connecting with masses for election gains. Sangeeta Pranavendra reports
As the saying goes, life is but a journey and as fact goes, a politician needs to undertake a long journey to establish self. But in Rajasthan; leaders of all stature, parties and disposition are on various yatras to not only consolidate their position but also re establish their connect with the public.
These yatras are said to be taken out for various issues; farmers welfare, justice for all, water conservation, grievance settlement, establishing connect and feedback. But in the year penultimate to state elections, the actual purpose of these yatras is to test waters, gauge public mood and design strategy for the assembly elections next year.
A look around the state and one can see yatras in all different directions for all different purposes. The yatras are curated to create frenzy, attract crowds galvanize supporters, in short get into election mode ahead of competition.
The latest yatra that started on Wednesday is by Ashok Gehlot as companion to Rahul Gandhi, in neighbour state Gujarat. But Gehlot stands to reap results on home ground in near future.
Congress chief Sachin Pilot recently concluded his yatra across Raje bastion, Hadauti in support of farmers. The well timed yatra by the party chief served to establish Congress’ concern for farmers in the area where most suicides have taken place.
Higher education minister Kiran Maheshwari had undertaken a yatra on foot from the Dwarkadheesh temple to Charbhuja temple with a message to conserve water as part of obeisance after the Rajsamand lake filled to the brim after over four decades. A well timed affair to coincide with the public mood and opportunity to interact with the huge crowds that naturally gather when the lake fills up.
Chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s entire tenure has been an endless series of yatras by various names, sometimes for justice at doorstep and on other times for rejuvenation of water resources and now more recently preparing for by elections.
Even as all these yatras are taking place all across the political arena, the yatras that have been assigned to netas are simply not taking place.
YATRA GALORE
- While senior BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari is yet to decide whether he would form a party, he is continuously travelling across the state to establish units of his Deendayal Vahini.
- Newly appointed BJP organisation general secretary Chandrashekshar is undertaking exhaustive yatras to acquaint himself with the state and party functionaries, in company of the party chief Ashok Parnami.
- Notably, ministers are yet to go on yatras to the districts of which they are incharge. But as they stand to gain nothing politically, the yatras are yet to take off. Quite understandable too, exhaustive tripsto locations that promise no electoral gains are not on agenda of politicians.
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