Rahul Gandhi to carry out 'Padyatra' to counter Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is likely to carry out ‘padyatra’ in some select parts of the country, highlighting the theme—“economic progress with social harmony”—in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls. On of the areas the party leadership has short-listed for Gandhi’s proposed padyatra is Faizabad where Ayodhya, the grond-zero of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babari Masjid politics, is located.

The proposed “padyatra”, a party source said, “is reminiscent of the mass-contact programme Congress president Sonia Gandhi took out” in the run up to the 2004 Lok Sabha polls. “A proposal of Rahul Gandhiji’s padyatra in various parts of the country is under active consideration of the party leadership. According to the proposal, Rahulji will lead padyatras for seven days in various parts of the country.

Among the short-listed destinations is Faizabad in UP. The proposed programme is still under discussion,” a member of the Congress Working Committee and campaign committee told ET. The theme of “economic progress with social harmony”, the source said, “is meant to drive home the contrast of the Congress-led UPA political-policy thrust vis-à-vis Modi’s Gujarat Model”.

While Gandhi will participate in padyatra in select areas, the AICC has issued a circular, asking the party units to organise similar padyatras under the leadership of the sitting Congress members of the Lok Sabha and party candidates in the Opposition-held constituencies across every parliamentary seats.