‘Bharat Nyay Yatra’ marks a distinct shift in strategy from that adopted in the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. From exposing the divisive communal politics of the ruling regime to injustice that make people restive and any eruption of demand for justice could push the Prime Minister on the defensive.

Until now election campaigns of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been aggressive against the INDIA alliance and its constituent political parties alleging that they are a pack of corrupts with links to anti-India and anti-Hindu elements. Not only PM Narendra Modi but the entire RSS-BJP clan has been aggressively campaigning against INDIA alliance in general and Congress in particular, especially targeting Rahul Gandhi.

In the recently concluded Vidhan Sabha elections in November 2023 in five states, PM Modi’s direct attack on Congress and Rahul Gandhi signalled that the Congress and Rahul Gandhi would be the chief opponents of Modi in Lok Sabha elections 2024.

It may, therefore, be of great interest for PM Modi in particular, and RSS-BJP clan in general, to know that the Yatra will be led by former Congress President Rahul Gandhi and will be flagged by the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge from Imphal, the capital city of Manipur that was undergoing a worst kind of communal violence under BJP rule since May 2023. Hundreds of people had lost their lives and crores of properties lost, while PM Narendra Modi kept mysterious silence for several months. There was no justice for thousands of people in the state. With the Bharat Nyay Yatra, Manipur acquires special significance in Indian politics.

Though the Congress has given a rationale for beginning the Bharat Nyay Yatra from Manipur – that is to initiate the process of “healing the wounds” of the people of northeastern states – one cannot but notice its political significance. It should be noted that the violence has already impacted BJP’s political fortunes in the northeast states as reflected in the recent loss in Mizoram elections. Bharat Nyay Yatra would conclude in Mumbai in Maharashtra, a state where MVA had suffered split in Shiv Sena and NCP, one section went to NDA and another has come to INDIA bloc.

The Bharat Nyay Yatra between January 14 and March 20 will set the tone of further political campaigns once the Election Commission of India will announce Lok Sabha General Election 2024 dates sometime in the second week of March as expected. The yatra will cover a distance of 6200 km across 14 states and 85 districts of the country. The Yatra would be mostly covered by bus along with short stretches of walking. The states it would cover would include Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had addressed the issues of economic disparities, polarization, and dictatorship under the PM Modi’s regime. However, Rahul Gandhi will be concentrating on advocating for social, economic and political justice for the people of India. He will be joined by not only Congress’ rank and file but also by leaders and workers of other political parties too.

Congress has already covered states from South to North during Bharat Jodo Yatra. With completion of Bharat Nyay Yatra from East to West, the party would complete its yatras across India by March 20. Assam, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra are the chief states ruled by the BJP at present, and the party has a large number of MPs from these states. Bharat Nyay Yatra in these states may therefore bring tense political moments both for Congress and the BJP. The state BJP leadership would be trying hard to defend BJP’s position on the allegation of inflicting injustices to the common people under their double engine governments, one in the state and the other at the Centre.

Bharat Nyay Yatra would also pass through opposition ruled states, many of which are governed by INDIA alliance constituents, such as West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Odisha is also a key state ruled by BJD, presently has tacit understanding with BJP at the Centre, but is campaigning against it in the state. It would help INDIA alliance to drive home its message also in Odisha.

Political analysts are generally of the view that Bharat Nyay Yatra may not on strengthen the Congress, but also all the constituent political parties in the INDIA alliance, resulting in enhanced political performance of the Opposition putting PM Narendra Modi and his political strategists more difficult tasks to perform during election campaign 2024. (IPA Service)