One Take | From ‘Raja of Raghogarh’, Reticent Venugopal to Omnipresent Coterie, Meet Pillars of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra

The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is over and planning has begun to decide the second phase, which may span the country from east to west.

While some have given a thumbs-up to Rahul Gandhi, others have been cynical towards his initiative. As Congress mulls over the pros and cons of the Yatra, this week let’s take a look at the people who designed and shaped the Yatra – the people in charge of coordination, the equations changing during the Yatra and what the Yatra is all about Thi was all about

Let’s start with those who were the pillars of the journey:

the king that cannot be ignored

Digvijay Singh is man of the match but not always for the right reasons. From shaping the yatra to micro-management of logistics, the ‘King of Raghogarh’ impressed the Gandhi siblings with his stamina during the arduous Narmada Yatra. This also happened at a time when Singh was nowhere to be seen in the plans for new things in the ‘reconstructed’ Congress.

However, it is not easy to bring down the shrewd politician. Though many feel his chips are down after his surgical strike remark – where he asked the government for proof – he is not one to give up. He says to me with a smile: “I’m ready for another walk… Come walk with me.” His surgical strike comment, meanwhile, was his way of telling top officials that he cannot be messed with and has a mind of his own. In short, Madhya Pradesh elections cannot be planned without him.

The Youth Leader Who Calls the Shots

All you have to do is watch the video released after the trip and you can see KC Venugopal in the lead. It is true that many Congress leaders in Kerala are unhappy with his influence, but the young lathi-wielding leader has full faith in Rahul Gandhi. During and after the visit, Venugopal’s power is reticent but quietly trying to pacify angry politicians. It is clear that Rahul Gandhi’s powerhouse would be incomplete without KC, as he is fondly called. The journey has definitely smoothened the road for the Kerala leader.

PR manager

Learning from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style and image makeover, Yatra has shown this Rahul Gandhi Same game ready to play.

Catchy videos, emotional songs and poems, gently layered photographs of the Congress leader wearing a pheran in Rahul Gandhi’s t-shirt and beard as well as a somber gray background with snowflakes and encouraging stories – let’s not make the mistake of thinking that it was just coincidence.

The optics were carefully planned and executed. The brief given to the managers was to make Rahul Gandhi appear committed and determined and not as ‘Pappu’. Even Rahul Gandhi’s critics in the BJP accept that the yatra has done something for the leader, though not for the party. The managers were a core team – event management and PR agency Three Monkeys, Rahul Gandhi’s office and close confidante. The media department was often the last to arrive at the scene to execute plans.

It was also observed during the press conference that the event managers took center stage by deciding the lighting, seating and audio output of Rahul Gandhi so that his interaction could be promoted separately on social media. And, of course, let’s not forget that YouTubers are being given priority for interviews. The logic was simple – the mainstream media portrays him negatively while YouTube interviews bring out his ‘fun and good’ side.

the circle remains intact

The more things change, the more they stay the same – it seems to be just another part of the journey. There was never any doubt about the Congress and its coterie. Priyanka Vadra remains Rahul Gandhi’s closest sister and was asked to join the visit at strategic places to add the zing quotient to the on-ice sequence between the siblings. Apart from Priyanka, Rahul Gandhi’s core team was by his side at all times – Manoj Tyagi, KB Byju, Alankar Sawai, Kaushal Vidyarthi and Sachin Rao.

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