Shegaon (PTI): Mahatma Gandhi's great grandson, Tushar Gandhi, joined Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodo Yatra at Shegaon in Buldhana district of Maharashtra on Friday morning, with the Congress hailing his participation as "historic".

The yatra, which has been passing through Maharashtra since November 7, resumed the day's journey from Balapur in Akola district around 6 am and reached Shegaon a few hours later, where Tushar Gandhi, an author and activist, joined it.

In a tweet on Thursday, Tushar Gandhi had said that Shegaon was his birthplace.

''I will join the Bharat Jodo Yatra at Shegaon on 18th. Shegaon is my Birth Station as well. The train my mother was travelling in, 1 Dn. Howrah Mail Via Nagpur had halted at Shegaon Station on 17th January 1960 when I was born!" he had said in the post.

The Congress described Tushar Gandhi's participation in the yatra as historic.

The party described Rahul Gandhi and Tushar Gandhi, the great grandsons of Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, respectively, as carriers of the legacy of the two late leaders.

"The two walking together is a message to the rulers that they can put democracy in threat but will not be allowed to finish it off," the party said in a statement.

Apart from Tushar Gandhi, senior Congress leaders Mukul Wasnik, Deepender Hooda, Milind Deora, Manikrao Thakre, Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap and party's state unit chief Nana Patole walked with Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address a public rally at Shegaon this evening. The Bharat Jodo Yatra is in its last leg in Maharashtra and will enter Madhya Pradesh on November 20.

 

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.

The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.

According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.

In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.

In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.

The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.

In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.

The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.

The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.

Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.