#Politics | Rahul Gandhi dabbles in cooking, prepares bamboo chicken with tribal women in Telangana

Rahul Gandhi walked nearly 370 km in Telangana, traversing 19 Assembly segments and seven parliamentary constituencies, between October 23 and November 7 as part of Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with Advisai women and TPCC members, was seen preparing the state's famous dish-- 'Bamboo Chicken' (Youtube/@RahulGandhi)

As Rahul Gandhi presses on with his Bharat Jodo Yatra, a video from his Telangana leg of the foot march shows the Congress leader taking some time off and dabbling in cooking with tribal women in Andole village.

In a video released by Gandhi on Youtube, he was seen preparing bamboo chicken, known popularly as ‘bongu chicken’. The Congress MP mixed chilli, salt, turmeric, and other ingredients into the chicken pieces and placed them inside a bamboo stick, before roasting them on burning charcoal. Gandhi, along with the women and other state party leaders, was also seen eating the dish and interacting with them.

“When the whole team is involved, it is much easier to get the task done. The activity had an overall message. Even in Telangana Congress, if we are united, we will be able to perform better. Meaning, we will come to power,” a party leader said.

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When Gandhi asked when the dish is usually eaten, a woman replied, “after worshipping the deity, we celebrate by eating bamboo chicken. Our local deity is Muthyalamma, who we worship.”

Along with TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy, Rahul Gandhi also tried his hand at making pots in Andole.

Another party leader said, “There’s only a section of the public who we can mobilise. But, it’s because of you (Rahul Gandhi) that many are joining.”

During an informal chat, Gandhi pointed out how leaders of Kerala and Tamil Nadu would get tired and “fall down”, but appreciated Telangana party workers for being fit and strong during the Yatra.

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This was not the first time Gandhi is interacting with the public and cooking. On the second day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he was joined by the team behind ‘Village Cooking Channel’, a popular YouTube channel that has around 1.79 crore subscribers. Rahul had tried his hand at cooking with these YouTubers during a trip to Tamil Nadu in January 2021.

Rahul walked nearly 370 km in Telangana, traversing 19 Assembly segments and seven parliamentary constituencies, between October 23 and November 7, with a Diwali break in the middle and a quick dash to Delhi to attend the taking over of the new Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge.

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