Janjivan Bureau / Jaipur: The son bending to tie his mother’s shoelaces, the younger politician holding the veteran’s hand as they jog some distance, the leader playing football on the streets… the Kodak moments have been rolling in through the 100 days and more of the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra, which started on September 7, has been the centre of much discussion as the former Congress president seeks to put his party on the path of electoral revival – and also perhaps recast his image while getting into stride. And so there have been a succession of frames, still and video, showing Gandhi shaking off the traditional politician image to attempt to put place in public memory not the failed leader but the caring son and younger colleague, and the friendly, approachable politician with the grassroots touch. The 52-year-old, who walks about 20 km a day, has been accompanied at various stages by a string of ‘visitors’, including celebrities, military veterans, children and elderly Congress workers. As the yatra entered Kerala and the foot march gained momentum, videos showing Gandhi helping a little girl wear sandals and playing football on the streets with children were widely distributed.
In the Karnataka leg of the yatra, clips of Gandhi holding 75-year-old Siddararamiah’s hand and making a run for it in Hiriyur much to the delight of the cheering crowd went viral. Days later, in Mandya, it was the turn of the other chief ministerial aspirant, D K Shivakumar, to sprint with Gandhi.
