WALKING THE BHOPAL TALK

MADHYA PRADESH

- Rahul Noronha

The Madhya Pradesh leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra has offered the local Congress a chance to prep up for the next assembly election. November 2023 is still a year away, but state Congress chief and former chief minister Kamal Nath wants to use the yatra's momentum to the party's advantage. In a 12-day itinerary, the yatra route maps out 17 assembly segments in six districts in the state's Malwa and Nimar regions. Barring the tribal-dominated seats here, where the Congress is still strong, both are considered BJP strongholds. In 2018, the Congress had improved its tally here though, mopping up 34 of 66 seats in the Indore and Ujjain divisions (both in Malwa)-a crucial contributor to its victory. A good chance then to try and put some sheen back into its image. That Priyanka Gandhi joined her brother Rahul for the first time as the yatra entered MP on November 23, at Bodarli village in Burhanpur district, could not have harmed that cause.