RAHUL'S YATRA SHAKES ELECTION-BOUND HARYANA STRONGHOLDS

In a political landscape often dominated by inertia, Rahul Gandhi's Vijay Sankalp Yatra has swept through Haryana like a thunderous wave, electrifying the state.

- Rashme Sehgal

As vast crowds flood the streets to catch a glimpse of the Congress leader, it's clear that a transformation is brewing. Rahul's meticulously planned tour has galvanised the public, with his sights set firmly on the GT Belt-spanning Ambala, Kurukshetra, Panipat, and Yamuna Nagar-historically BJP strongholds, and key to the state's electoral map with its 36 crucial assembly constituencies.

Starting in Naraingarh, where Haryana's current Chief Minister, Naib Singh Saini, launched his political career in 2014, Rahul's choice of starting point was no coincidence. It was a direct challenge to the BJP leadership, aimed squarely at their heart. Naraingarh, nestled within the Ambala Lok Sabha constituency, is also home to Congress candidate Shalley Chaudhury, who triumphed in the 2019 assembly elections. Gandhi's visit sent a clear signal to the Congress factions in Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment, urging them to set aside their internal differences and unite for the greater cause.

The significance of this unity was reinforced by the presence of heavyweights Kumari Selja, Shalley Chaudhury, Priyanka Gandhi, and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, all rallying behind Rahul on the same stage. While Gandhi's early campaign efforts in Haryana were modest—addressing just two rallies in Assandh and Barwala—the second phase has seen him in full force. And the public is responding.

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