On the march

The good response to Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has given the MVA hopes of putting up a decent fight in the Lok Sabha elections

- DNYANESH JATHAR

ON THE DAY RAHUL GANDHI’S Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered the tribal district of Nandurbar on March 12, it was greeted with much fanfare. The mood of Congress leaders was upbeat, as Rahul addressed huge rallies in Nandurbar and Dondaicha. The jolt, however, came the next day—former minister Padmakar Valvi quit the party and joined the BJP.

Though hardly a heavyweight, Valvi certainly has some influence in the tribal belt of Nandurbar and Dhule Lok Sabha constituencies. The three-time legislator can damage the Congress’s chances in the Nandurbar constituency for sure.

Once a Congress bastion, Nandurbar and its tribals had a special place in Indira Gandhi’s heart. Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi carried forward the special bond. The UPA government chose Nandurbar district for the launch of its prestigious Aadhaar card scheme during its second tenure. The constituency, however, slipped away from the hands of the Congress in the Modi wave in 2014. Heena Gavit, a young BJP leader, has been representing the constituency since then. The Congress is keen on wresting it back.

The party has to play its cards deftly, though. It has to make sure that Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) does not spoil the game. The efforts for an understanding with the VBA have not yielded any result as it refused to accept the two seats offered by the Maha Vikas Aghadi during the seat-sharing talks.