Photo: ANI
Patna: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will begin the Har Ghar Adhikar Yatra in Bihar on September 26, ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls. Party leaders said the 10-day campaign would start from Khagaria as part of the Opposition Grand Alliance’s outreach strategy.
This will mark her second trip to the state in a month, following her participation in the Voter Adhikar Yatra led by her brother, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, which ended in Patna on September 1.
According to Congress functionaries, the route for Priyanka’s yatra is being mapped out in consultation with state leaders, with plans to cover constituencies that were not included in Rahul Gandhi’s campaign.
Insiders added that while Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had centred their messaging on electoral roll revisions and alleged irregularities in voting, Priyanka’s programme would concentrate on appealing to women voters, described by the party as a key support base of the ruling NDA, TNIE reported.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is expected to focus on women voters during her Bihar campaign by holding Mahila Samvad (women’s dialogue) sessions, party sources indicated. Through these interactions and door-to-door visits, she is likely to highlight issues concerning Anganwadi and Jeevika workers, among others.
Leaders pointed out that promises of financial support to women, such as the Mai Bahin Maan Yojna backed by both the Congress and the RJD, would feature prominently in her outreach.
According to a senior functionary, the aim of Priyanka’s yatra is to sustain the momentum generated by Rahul Gandhi’s 17-day Voter Adhikar Yatra and Tejashwi Yadav’s five-day Bihar Adhikar Yatra. It is also being positioned to counter the narrative of divisions within the Grand Alliance over seat-sharing arrangements.
The leader, while requesting anonymity, remarked that it remains unclear whether Priyanka will, like Rahul, choose to have the INDIA bloc leaders accompany her during the march. Rahul’s campaign had started from Sasaram in Rohtas and spanned 3,000 km across 25 districts before ending in Patna on September 1.
Party insiders added that several senior leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, as well as chief ministers Revanth Reddy and Siddaramaiah, are likely to join Priyanka at different stages of the yatra.
Khagaria, where Priyanka is expected to launch her campaign, holds political significance as the home district of late Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and his son Chirag Paswan, who leads the Lok Janshakti Party (RV) and is part of the NDA. Chirag has expressed his intention to contest the Alauli seat in Khagaria.
Meanwhile, his uncle, Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party chief Pashupati Kumar Paras, has yet to formally align with the Grand Alliance, with the Paswan family rift remaining evident.