Guwahati: The 70-day ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ launched in Assam by the Congress party from the border town of Golakganj in Dhubri district near the Bangladesh border on November 1 has completed one month.
The Yatra, which aims to cover a distance of 834 km from Dhubri to Sadiya before it ends in mid-December, has drawn a significant crowd in certain places.
However, though the yatra has drawn significant crowds in some places so far, the absence of a section of party leaders has worried the Congress leadership.
“The biggest worry for the party is that many of its workers have stayed away from the yatra,” said a party insider.
Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah also accepted this fact. “We have noticed that many party workers have skipped the yatra in Assam. At least 30 percent of the office bearers are absent from the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Borah said.
They include some senior party leaders and MLAs and it has created an uncomfortable situation within the party.
Borah said that many party workers attend meetings only when the party in charge of Assam, Jitendra Singh Alwar, comes to the state.
Meanwhile, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jitendra Singh Alwar has directed Assam Pradesh Congress president Bhupen Borah to provide the list of leaders and party workers who have skipped the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.
In a letter to Borah, Singh wrote, “I have been joining the Yatra from time to time and have noticed that some APCC office bearers, executive members, DCC/Block President/OBs and leaders are not attending this yatra or have not made any efforts to make this historic yatra a success. Kindly prepare a list of such office bearers/executive members/leaders and submit it immediately after the yatra ends.”
The top brass of the Congress in Assam is worried about losing more party leaders to the BJP.
The Congress party in Assam has been in serious trouble since last year when some of its MLAs crossed over to the BJP, while a few others were suspended for anti-party activities.
The presidential election in July brought more woes for the Congress as it was alleged that many of the party members cast their votes in favour of NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu.