Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Mandya district of Karnataka, providing a psychological boost to the marchers led by Rahul Gandhi who have to cover another 2,860km.

Apart from bolstering morale, the involvement of the topmost leadership reinforced the Congress’s commitment to the Yatra’s objective — to bring into national spotlight the scourges of unemployment, high prices and toxic divisiveness.

Sonia’s participation drew massive crowds since morning, encouraging local Congress workers who believe the Yatra has laid the foundation for the party’s resurgence in poll-bound Karnataka.

Her presence appeared to cause concern in the state’s BJP government, with chief minister S.R. Bommai personally aiming a jibe: “She walked half a kilometre and was gone. It’s okay.”

Sonia, who had a few years ago stopped participating in political programmes because of poor health, had indeed been persuaded by son Rahul to get back into her car after 10 minutes of walking. But she returned after resting for a while.

Expected to take part in the Yatra for 30 minutes, Sonia stayed back for more than two hours, walking in three spells.

Congress leaders said her decision to join the Yatra was itself enough to motivate party workers.

“If the political impact is measured by the length of the walk, the BJP should know we are walking over 3,600km and Rahul Gandhi will be present throughout. So the chief minister should not talk about that,” a designated Yatri told The Telegraph over the phone from Mandya.

“We were feeling lethargic this morning after the two-day break but the excitement (of the knowledge) that Soniaji would walk with us instantly energised us. Her gesture will help us cover a few hundred kilometres without any pain.”

Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar said his request for a rescheduling of his Enforcement Directorate summons — made on the ground that he was busy with the Yatra — had been rejected, and portrayed this as a reflection of the BJP’s nervousness about the walkathon.

Randeep Surjewala, the Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka, accused the BJP government of trying to malign the Congress through paid news. He added that police had on Thursday attacked journalists and Rahul’s staff during the Yatra.

While women arrived in large numbers to see Sonia, a photograph showing Rahul tying his mother’s shoelaces was widely circulated on social media.

Rahul posted a photograph with Sonia with this message: “Hum pahle bhi toofano se kashti nikal kar laye hain, hum aaj bhi har chunautiyon ki haden todenge, mil kar Bharat jodenge (We have in the past, too, steered the ship out of turbulence; we shall again face today’s challenges and unite India).”

Rahul appeared to be alluding to the Congress’s role in the freedom struggle and in nation-building afterwards, and comparing it to the present-day task of extricating India from the vortex of divisive politics.