We know that the next Lok Sabha polls will happen in 2024 but the Congress has already started it campaign to regain its lost glory. Having steadily lost relevance among the electorates under the leadership of the current Gandhi family, the grand old party is making a last-ditch effort to turn around its political fortunes.
Titled as ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Congress flagged off its 3,570-km march from Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday (September 7). The march that will span over 5 months will cover 12 States before terminating at Srinagar.
More than 230 Congress leaders led by Rahul Gandhi are participating. More than 100 leaders including Rahul will walk more than 20 km daily in two batches, one from 7 am – 10:30 am and again from 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm. The party is hoping to mobilise the masses during its evening sessions.
The ‘foot march’ is also accompanied by a convoy of 59 containers, which are colour coded as per the availability of beds. The Congress leaders sleep in these containers, which are mounted on trucks. They camp on the roadsides, eat food made by cooking staff and get clean laundry once every 3 days.
The luxurious containers are equipped with air conditioners and modern amenities. One of them has even been turned into a mini-conference hall. Rahul Gandhi has a container exclusively for himself.
Labelled No.1, the container of Rahul Gandhi has a bed, attached bathroom and a couch. It is stationed in the yellow zone. His security team sleep in container No 2 while his staff, Alankar Sawai and K B Byju, are housed in Container No 4.
Congress Secretarty Vamshi Chand Reddy and General Secretary are housed in Container No. 3. Similarly, blue zone containers have 2 beds and a washroom. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh sleeps in one such container (No 15).