The Congress on Wednesday wrapped up the opening phase of its Jan Aakrosh Yatra at Becharaji in Mehsana, completing a two-week journey that spanned roughly 1,100 km across seven districts.
The closing event drew senior leaders including GPCC chief Amit Chavda, CLP leader Tushar Chaudhary, and former Union minister Bharatsinh Solanki, while AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot addressed the gathering virtually.
Branded with the slogan “parivartan no shankhnaad”, the campaign marks the party’s latest attempt to reset its political presence in Gujarat, a state it has been out of power in since 1995. Leaders involved in the tour say the crowds that turned up along the route offer a glimmer of hope for an organisation still reeling from its 2022 electoral drubbing, when it won only 17 seats against the BJP’s 156.
Banaskantha DCC president and ex-MLA Labhshankar Rajput was quoted saying in the media that the yatra’s conversations around farm distress, illegal liquor, and drug-related issues resonated strongly. According to him, people openly criticised the government, and the exchanges helped revive the morale of party workers. “Our cadres respond when they sense public enthusiasm, and the active presence of senior leaders has energised them further,” he said.
The march began in Dhima in the Vav-Tharad region and moved through Banaskantha, Aravalli, Gandhinagar, and Sabarkantha. AICC Gujarat in-charge Mukul Wasnik, AICC media chairperson Pawan Khera, former Youth Congress head BV Srinivas, and several former and sitting MPs and MLAs joined at intervals.
Throughout the journey, the Congress escalated its criticism of Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi. The party termed the state’s Rs 10,000-crore relief package for farmers inadequate and renewed its long-standing demand for a full farm loan waiver, arguing that unseasonal rain has caused severe losses. Inflation, unemployment, the fixed-wage hiring policy, and contractual employment also featured prominently in its speeches.
Recognising North Gujarat’s importance, the party deployed regional in-charge Subhashini Yadav for the tour. The zone remains relatively favourable for the Congress — six of its 12 MLAs represent constituencies along the yatra route, and its lone Lok Sabha MP, Geniben Thakor, is also from this belt. Mehsana DCC president Baldevji Thakor said that while the Congress organisation remains weak, public resentment could shift the 2027 outcome.
Patan MLA Kirit Patel argued that the initiative helped dismantle the perception that the Congress does not engage with people. “Sustaining this kind of outreach can build the foundation we need for the next Assembly polls,” he said.
Solanki reiterated that preparations for 2027 were already underway. He recalled the party’s 2017 performance — its best in recent memory — when it won 77 seats. “We narrowly missed then. Rahul ji has emphasised the need to bring people together, and we want that message to translate into action on the ground,” he said. Solanki added that the local body polls scheduled for April 2026 will be a crucial precursor to the Assembly election.
Chavda announced that the Jan Aakrosh Yatra will continue in four more phases: Central Gujarat next, followed by Saurashtra, South Gujarat, and finally the Kutch region.
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