Nevertheless, he tells ThePrint that for his method to be transformed into political capital, a number of different issues, such because the Congress’s political organisation, have to fall into place.
“Chances are you’ll be seen as a great individual, however a great individual will not be all the time an automated selection in an election,” Srinivasaraju asserts.
He says a number of different elements, together with caste and different id elements, the candidate on the bottom, and the bigger narrative created throughout the election, play a major function in who will get voted in.
“As a person, he’s good, however politics will not be about being a great particular person. It’s about mobilising a group to vote for you…. Politics and elections are way more sophisticated, and it’s not nearly being a great individual or making an emotional connection,” Srinivasaraju explains.
Writer and political analyst Rashid Kidwai instructed ThePrint that “political correctness is briefly provide in electoral politics”.
“Internationally, in most democracies, we’re seeing majoritarianism, and that’s the reason Rahul Gandhi has not been very profitable in his political marketing campaign and considering,” he explains.
He referred to 2022 meeting polls in Uttar Pradesh, when Congress fielded candidates who have been sexual violence survivors or their relations. On the time, the occasion had fielded Asha Singh, the mom of the 2017 Unnao rape sufferer; ASHA employee Poonam Pandey, who was assaulted throughout an agitation looking for wage enhance; and Lakhimpur Kheri’s Ritu Singh, assaulted as effectively throughout the earlier panchayat elections.
“Nevertheless, most of them forfeited their deposits,” he factors out.
Based on him, sexual violence agitates folks immensely, however it’s not a robust sufficient sentiment to translate into votes.
“On the finish of the day, it’s simply the sufferer of sexual violence and her rapid household who will get impacted. The society at massive could be very detached. For them, it’s only a statistic. I might additionally say the identical factor about communal violence,” he defined.
From the Mirchpur and Bhatta Parsaul visits throughout his early days in politics to the more moderen visits to Hathras and Kashmir, ThePrint seems to be at Gandhi’s visits and subsequent election outcomes.
Yavatmal
Rewind to July 2008.
Gandhi had freshly taken over as the final secretary of the All India Congress Committee, and he was keen to depart a mark.
That was when he visited the hut of Kalavati Bandurkar in Jalka village within the Yavatmal district in Maharashtra. Her husband died by suicide in 2005—an consequence of the agrarian disaster. She was left alone with their seven daughters and two sons.
After Gandhi visited her, Kalavati turned the poster lady of the agrarian disaster in Vidarbha. Gandhi talked about her within the Lok Sabha three days later, recounting her story whereas advocating for nuclear vitality, which, he stated, may guarantee vitality safety for ladies akin to her.
Jalka village falls within the Ralegaon meeting constituency, part of the Yavatmal-Washim Lok Sabha constituency.
Instantly after the go to, the incumbent INC candidate from Ralegaon returned to energy within the 2009 Maharashtra meeting elections. Nevertheless, within the three subsequent meeting polls, in 2014, 2019 and 2024, the BJP candidate emerged victorious.
As for the final elections, the Yavatmal-Washim Lok Sabha constituency voted for the undivided Shiv Sena within the 2009, 2014 and 2019 polls and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) within the 2024 polls.
In the meantime, Kalavati retains arising within the political discourse.
Talking at a no-confidence movement within the Lok Sabha final 12 months, Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah took a jibe at Gandhi, referring to his go to to Kalavati in 2008.
“There’s a chief on this Home—whose political profession has been launched 13 instances until now. And all 13 makes an attempt have failed. I’ve seen one of many launches on this Home. This chief visited the house of a much less lucky lady, Kalavati, and had a meal at her dwelling. He then spoke about poverty and her hardships within the Home. Their authorities was in energy for six years after this. I need to ask what did you do for her. The Modi authorities gave her a home, electrical energy, fuel, ration, and bathroom,” Shah stated.
Quickly after, the Congress shared a video of Kalavati talking about all the assistance she acquired from Gandhi on social media platform X.
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Niyamgiri
One other of Gandhi’s first such interventions got here in 2008 when he stood up for the Dongria Kondh tribals dwelling in and across the Niyamgiri hills in Odisha. The tribals have been protesting a proposed bauxite mining plant by the UK-based Vedanta group. By then, the corporate had invested Rs 5,000 crore to arrange an alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi. This refinery was to get the aluminium ore—bauxite—from the Niyamgiri hills, which span the districts of Kalahandi and Rayagada.
After his first go to to Niyamgiri, Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituency voted for the Congress within the 2009 basic elections.
The Kalahandi district has 5 meeting constituencies—Lanjigarh, Junagarh, Dharmgarh, Bhawanipatna and Narla. Lanjigarh, Junagarh, Bhawanipatna and Narla voted for INC within the 2009 meeting elections, whereas solely Dharmagarh voted for Biju Janata Dal.
Rayagada district has the Rayagada, Gunupur and Bissam Cuttack meeting constituencies. Rayagad and Gunupur voted for BJD within the 2009 meeting polls, however Bissam Cuttack voted for INC.
Niyamgiri quickly emerged because the epicentre of tribal protests towards the proposed bauxite mining project, after which the then-minister of setting and forest Jairam Ramesh, in 2010, rejected the environmental clearance granted to Vedanta. Throughout his second go to to the realm in 2010, Gandhi known as the transfer a “victory of tribals”.
“You saved your land and your faith. I did what I may, however that is your victory, not mine. I’m your soldier in Delhi. I congratulate you to your wrestle. I’ll all the time be with you,” he stated on the time.
Nevertheless, the tides turned after this.
The Kalahandi Lok Sabha Constituency voted for the BJD in 2014 however switched to the BJP within the subsequent basic elections in 2019 and 2024.
The meeting constituencies of Lanjigarh, Junagarh and Narla voted for the BJD within the subsequent meeting elections in 2014, 2019 and 2024. Dharmagarh voted for BJD in 2014 and 2019, solely to modify to the BJP in 2024. Bhawanipatna voted for BJD in 2014, BJP in 2019, and at last, for the Congress within the 2024 meeting elections.
As for Rayagada, the meeting constituency voted for the BJD in 2014, for an Unbiased within the 2019 meeting elections, and for the Congress in 2024. Each Bissam Cuttack and Gunupur constituencies voted for the BJD in 2014 and 2019, voting for the Congress solely in 2024.
Bhatta Parsaul
In 2011, Rahul Gandhi rode a pillion on a bike into the dual adjoining villages of Bhatta and Parsaul in Western UP. He was there to assist the villagers protesting land acquisition by the then-government of Mayawati for the Yamuna Expressway development.
Nevertheless, within the subsequent 2012 UP elections, the ruling Bahujan Samaj Get together candidate Vedram Bhati gained the Jewar seat, beneath which the dual villages fall, whereas Congress candidate Dhirendra Singh misplaced by over 9,000 votes. Singh was the one who drove Gandhi on the motorbike to Bhatta Parsaul in 2011.
Within the subsequent two meeting elections, in 2017 and 2022, the Jewar meeting constituency voted for Dhirendra Singh. However, by then, Singh had stop the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Get together.
As for the final elections, Jewar is part of the Gautam Buddh Nagar Lok Sabha constituency, the place within the final three basic elections, the BJP candidate has emerged victorious.
Yamuna Expressway is now up and operating.
Mirchpur
In a shock go to to Mirchpur village in Haryana in 2010, Rahul Gandhi hung out with Dalit households dealing with caste-based violence. The violence within the Haryana village noticed the burning of Dalit homes by a bunch of Jats and two folks killed.
Haryana then had a Congress authorities led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and Gandhi visiting the village was seen as a message from the Congress excessive command to the then-CM.
Mirchpur falls within the Narnaund meeting constituency. Within the first meeting elections after the go to, the Bharatiya Janata Get together candidate Abhimanyu Singh Sindhu gained the seat in 2014. In 2019, Jannayak Janta Get together candidate Ram Kumar Gautam emerged victorious. Solely in 2024 did the INC reach making a comeback, with Jassi Petwar profitable the meeting election from the Narnaund.
Narnaund is part of the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency, which noticed an identical pattern. In 2014, Hisar voted for the Indian Nationwide Lok Dal candidate, and in 2019, for the BJP candidate. Solely in 2024 did the INC candidate win the seat.
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Gopalgarh
In October 2011, Rahul Gandhi paid one other shock go to to Gopalgarh, Maliki and Piproli villages in Rajasthan—the place violent clashes between the Meo Muslim group and Gurjjars had damaged out surrounding a land-related dispute.
The three villages fall beneath the Kaman meeting constituency, which voted within the BJP within the following 2013 meeting elections. Within the 2018 polls, the INC candidate gained from the constituency, however within the 2023 meeting elections, the BJP candidate emerged victorious once more.
The Kaman meeting falls beneath the Bharatpur Lok Sabha constituency, which voted for the BJP within the two basic elections of 2014 and 2019 following the incident. Within the 2024 basic elections, the Congress made a comeback, with its candidate Sanjana Jatav profitable.
Satara
In April 2012, Rahul Gandhi visited the drought-hit areas in Mumbai’s Satara district, assuring farmers of options to their issues.
Within the subsequent 2014 meeting polls, the Satara Vidhan Sabha constituency voted the Nationalist Congress Get together to energy after the NCP broke its 15-year-old alliance with the Congress earlier than that meeting election. In 2019 and 2024, it voted BJP to energy. In all three meeting elections, the winner was Shivendrasinh Abhayasinh Bhosale, who joined the BJP earlier than the 2019 elections. Based on experiences from the time, Gandhi had additionally visited different villages within the Satara district, together with Dahiwadi, Pangri and Jhashi, which fall beneath the Man Meeting constituency. This phase noticed a extra optimistic outcome, with the constituency voting for the incumbent INC candidate Jaykumar Gore in 2014. Nevertheless, Gore joined the BJP in 2019, and has since been voted in because the BJP candidate within the 2019 and 2024 meeting elections.
The Satara Lok Sabha constituency voted for the NCP in 2014 and 2019 and the BJP within the 2024 basic elections. In the meantime, Madha Lok Sabha Constituency, beneath which Man Meeting phase falls, voted for the NCP within the subsequent 2014 basic elections, the BJP in 2019, and the NCP (Sharatchandra Pawar) in 2024.
Shakur Basti
In 2015, when a six-month-old youngster died in an anti-encroachment drive by the Railways in Delhi’s Shakur Basti, it gave anti-BJP ammunition to each the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Get together. Rahul Gandhi visited the demolition web site on the time.
“I might not let demolition occur anyplace within the metropolis. At any time when any such factor occurs, name Rahul Gandhi. Congress will not be in energy each in Centre and Delhi, but I’m with you all on this battle,” he was quoted as saying.
Nevertheless, within the subsequent meeting elections in 2020, Shakur Basti voted for incumbent Satyender Jain from the AAP. Shakur Basti is part of the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, which voted for the BJP in 2019 and 2024.
Una violence
In 2016, Rahul Gandhi visited Gujarat’s Una city and met the relations of the seven Dalit youths thrashed for allegedly killing a cow. The video of the beating had gone viral, sparking protests and resulting in the demise by suicide of a Dalit protester and the demise of a policeman in mob violence.
Instantly after the violence, Congress’s Punjabhai Bhimabhai Vansh gained the Una Vidhan Sabha seat in 2017, however the Congress didn’t see the identical leads to the following polls. BJP’s Kalubhai Rathod gained the 2022 meeting elections from Una.
Una is part of the Junagadh Lok Sabha constituency, which has voted for the Bharatiya Janata Get together since 2009.
Saharanpur
A 12 months after the Una go to, Rahul Gandhi discovered himself assembly Dalit victims of caste violence in Shabbirpur village, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in 2017. He met the households regardless of the native administration and the UP police denying him permission to go to. He additionally had UP Congress chief Raj Babbar and senior occasion chief Ghulam Nabi Azad with him.
Shabbirpur falls under the Deoband meeting phase, part of the Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituency.
Gandhi’s go to got here in Might 2017, after the UP meeting elections when Deoband had already voted within the BJD candidate. It repeated its selection within the 2022 meeting elections as effectively.
Within the 2019 basic elections, the Bahujan Samaj Get together candidate emerged victorious within the Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituency. Nevertheless, the 2024 elections noticed a distinct outcome, with the Congress candidate profitable the seat.
Mandsaur
In 2017, Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district witnessed high-voltage drama, with Rahul Gandhi arrested for making an attempt to leap a barrier to enter the city.
Gandhi wished to go to Mandsaur on the heels of farmer protests that escalated to the demise of 5 in police firing in Pipliamandi. He was capable of meet the households of the victims however on the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border solely.
Gandhi visited Mandsaur a 12 months later, in 2018, forward of the MP meeting elections, to watch the primary anniversary of the incident.
Pipliamandi one thing fallacious occurs, we shall be there—to make sure justice is served. Nobody can cease us,” Priyanka Gandhi additional stated in the Suwasra meeting constituency, which falls within the Mandsaur Lok Sabha phase. The Suwasra meeting phase voted for the Congress in 2018, however its candidate, Hardeep Singh Dang, resigned from the meeting membership and subsequently from the Congress in 2020. He was one of many a number of Congress legislators whose resignations had triggered a political disaster in Madhya Pradesh in 2020, resulting in the autumn of the then Kamal Nath authorities. Dang’s resignation letter stated he was damage as a result of he was “repeatedly ignored” by Nath and different ministers, signing off by saying that his wrestle for farmers’ points would proceed, in keeping with a news18 report from the time.
Dang was the one Congress MLA elected from the Mandsaur district, whereas the three different meeting segments went to the BJP in 2018. He then joined the BJP in 2020. Within the subsequent bypolls in 2020 and meeting elections in 2023, Dang has been profitable the constituency as a BJP candidate.
In the meantime, the Mandsaur Lok Sabha constituency has voted for the BJP within the final three basic elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024.
Hathras
Again in 2020, the police detained Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi on the freeway between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on their solution to Hathras after the alleged gang rape and demise of a 19-year-old Dalit lady.
In October 2020, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi spent virtually an hour with the bereaved household. Chatting with the media after assembly the household, Rahul Gandhi promised to take care of strain on the federal government to make sure that the household will get justice.
“Wherever one thing fallacious occurs, we shall be there—to make sure justice is served. Nobody can cease us,” Priyanka Gandhi additional stated.
The incident occurred in Bool Garhi village in Hathras district. It falls beneath the Sikandra Rao Meeting constituency, the place the 2022 meeting election outcomes noticed BJP’s Birendra Singh Rana winning with 97,905 votes, towards a meagre 1,155 votes for the Congress candidate. Within the basic election earlier this 12 months, the Hathras Lok Sabha constituency noticed an identical outcome—BJP’s Anoop Pradhan Balmiki emerged victorious with 5,54,746 votes towards Samajwadi Get together’s Jasveer Valmiki. SP and Congress put up a united combat in UP within the basic elections this 12 months, and Congress didn’t subject a candidate in Hathras.
In March final 12 months, an SC/ST courtroom in Hathras acquitted three out of 4 accused individuals within the Hathras case whereas convicting one individual for culpable murder, not amounting to homicide.
Kashmir
In August 2021, Rahul Gandhi undertook a two-day go to to Jammu and Kashmir—his first go to to the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370. When, in 2019, he tried to go to Kashmir with an opposition delegation after the abrogation of Article 370, he was turned away from Srinagar airport.
Then, this 12 months, forward of the meeting polls, he visited Srinagar in August. He emphasised that this was the primary time in India’s historical past {that a} state now stands decreased to a Union Territory.
“We need to give this message that the illustration of the folks of Jammu and Kashmir is essential, it is crucial for us, and it’s important for the nation,” he was quoted as saying by the media.
Nevertheless, within the first meeting elections in Jammu and Kashmir, after the erstwhile state turned a UT, the Congress made a poor exhibiting as soon as once more. Whereas the J&Okay Nationwide Convention gained 42 seats, the INC gained 6. The BJP gained 29 seats.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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