Rahul Gandhi embarks on three-day Kedarnath visit ahead of state polls

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has embarked on a three-day visit to Kedarnath, a prominent Hindu shrine in the Himalayas, though the Congress has described this visit as a personal spiritual journey for him. He arrived in Kedarnath two days ago to offer prayers at the revered shrine. Notably, Kedarnath holds significance in Hindu mythology as it is associated with Lord Shiva, often referred to as Mahadev.

This visit is particularly interesting due to its timing, as it coincides with the first phase of elections in Chhattisgarh, where the name “Mahadev” has become central to the political discourse. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been targeting the Congress, alleging its involvement in a betting app named Mahadev in Chhattisgarh. They accuse the Congress of using this company for financial gain and have focused their attacks on Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

In the face of these accusations and attacks, Rahul Gandhi decided to make a spiritual visit to Kedarnath amidst the ongoing election campaign. Some political experts see this as more than just a coincidence, suggesting that it is a strategic move on the part of the Congress.

The political landscape in Chhattisgarh has been marked by the term “Mahadev,” and on the other hand, the Congress party has faced criticism for expressing sympathy towards Gaza and Hamas, which has raised concerns among Hindu voters in the poll-bound states. The Congress party’s think tank was quick to draw a parallel between these developments in the political arena.

Rahul Gandhi’s visits to holy places are not a new occurrence. He has previously undertaken the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and visited Kheer Bhavani, among other places of worship. However, the timing of his visit to Kedarnath during the ongoing elections in five states is what makes it distinct. Political analysts suggest that this could be seen as the grand old party’s embrace of “soft Hindutva” –an attempt to send a message to the majority Hindu community and secure a substantial portion of their votes in the elections.

The practice of politicians visiting well-known shrines is not new in Indian politics. However, in the current political climate, politicians often choose to visit holy places during election campaigns in poll-bound states as a means to connect with devotees and send messages to their followers.