Maharashtra: Rahul Gandhi and Uddhav Thackeray to participate in Bandarpur Yatra… Preparations to show political power through religious pilgrimage.

Rahul Gandhi may participate in Maharashtra's famous Bandarpur annual yatra today. It is special that Sarath Pawar has invited Rahul Gandhi and Uddhav Thackeray for this trip. It is hoped that through this yatra, leaders of Mahavikas Agathi will not only show unity but also demonstrate political strength. At the same time, this move by MVA in the state could also be a blow to BJP's Hindutva agenda. Assembly elections are likely to be held in Maharashtra by October-November this year, in such a scenario it is not uncommon for MVA leaders to come together and obviously its political meaning will also be taken out. Religious travel but its impact is political? The Bhandarpur Yatra may be religious but its social impact is felt across Maharashtra. The importance of this Yatra, dedicated to Lord Vittal, an incarnation of Vishnu, can be understood from the fact that Sarat Pawar invited Rahul Gandhi to participate in the Bandarpur Yatra. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra passed through Maharashtra twice and he was well received in the state. This time, Rahul Gandhi may be seen walking the bhakti path in the state, though how much political benefit this will bring to him only time will tell. What is the significance of Pandalur Yatra? The history of Bhandarpur Yatra is about 700 to 800 years old. This pilgrimage is performed during the Shukla Ekadasi of Ashada month. It is also known as Kumbha of Vaishnavas. Every year the participants in this journey are called Varkari and walk about 250 kilometers in the journey. Vargari is a sect in the Bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with Maharashtra. The importance of this section can be understood from the fact that the Shinde government issued the 'Chief Minister Varkari Corporation' ordinance last Sunday. Through this, the state government will start an old-age pension scheme for workers who are getting traditional monthly salary. The history of Varkari movement is linked to the 17th century saint Tukaram Maharaj of Tehu. Every year lakhs of Varkaris undertake a 21-day pilgrimage from Alanti and Tehu to the Vithoba temple in Bandarpur, which culminates on the day of Ashadi Ekadasi. By participating in the Bandarpur Yatra, the MVA wants to further strengthen its presence among the electorate ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. In the Lok Sabha elections, Mahavikhas fared well in Agadhi state, winning 31 out of 48 seats. In this, Congress has won maximum 13 seats and strengthened the alliance. The Maharashtra Congress is also buoyed by the results, which is why the party has started formulating its upcoming strategy. In 2019, the Congress and the NCP jointly contested the assembly elections, when the Congress fielded its candidates in 147 seats and the NCP in 141 seats. But now the circumstances are a little different. Now this alliance consists of Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena which did well in 2019 assembly elections but now Uddhav's Shiv Sena and Sarath Pawar's NCP are fractured. Congress has a chance to win maximum seats in seat sharing with alliance. Current Status of Maharashtra Assembly: Maharashtra has 288 Assembly seats. As of now, BJP has won maximum 103 seats. In the NCP, which is divided into two camps, the Ajith faction has 40 MLAs and the Sharad faction has 12 MLAs. Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) has 38 MLAs and Congress has 37 MLAs. Whereas, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena has 18 MLAs.