Lok Sabha LoP and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, said on Saturday that his party needed to filter out leaders and workers working for the BJP and warned of strict action, even removals.
While addressing Congress workers on the second day of his two-day Gujarat visit, the Lok Sabha LoP asserted that the party’s first job was to separate two groups of Congress workers and leaders—ones who carry the party ideology in their hearts and stand with the public and the others who were cut off from the public, “half of whom are with the BJP.”
With eyes on the upcoming 2027 Assembly polls in Gujarat, considered a bastion of the saffron party, Rahul Gandhi is on a visit to the state to assess preparations in the run-up to the elections. During the visit, Gandhi hinted at a major overhaul in the party’s state unit and assured a strong plan to defeat the BJP.
“There are two types of people in the Gujarat Congress leadership and among workers. Those who are honest with people, fight for them, respect them, and have the ideology of the Congress in their heart. And the others who are cut off from the people sit far away, do not respect them, and half of whom are with the BJP,” he said.
The former Congress chief said the grand old party’s first job should be to filter these two groups, even if it means taking strict action of removing people. Until the two groups are separated, the people of Gujarat will not believe in the party, he said.
“For our district, block presidents and senior leaders, the party should find a place in their hearts. They should carry Congress in their blood. Put the issue of winning and losing the elections aside. As soon as we do that, the people of Gujarat would like to join our organization, and we will open the door for them,” he said. He claimed that the people of the state are trapped, and the diamond, textile, and ceramic industries are in shambles.
“Look at farmers of Gujarat. They are screaming for a new vision. The vision of the last 20-25 years has failed, and Congress can provide this vision easily. But this is not possible unless these two types of people are filtered,” he said.
He said Gujarat wants to move forward but is unable to see the way ahead, and the Congress is unable to show it the way. “I am not speaking out of shame or fear, but I want to put this before you—we are unable to show Gujarat the way,” Gandhi said.
He pointed out that Congress has been out of power in Gujarat for over three decades, and whenever he visits the state, the discussions revolve around elections.
“But the question is not about elections. Unless we fulfill our responsibilities, the people of Gujarat will not let us win the elections. And we should not ask the people to give us the government till we fulfill our responsibilities. The day we have fulfilled our responsibilities, I can guarantee that all the people of Gujarat will support us,” he said.
Gandhi said Congress has not been able to fulfill expectations Gujarat had from its leaders for the last 30 years. Gujarat gave the Congress its original leadership, way of thinking, fighting, and living in Mahatma Gandhi, he said. “Without Gandhi, Congress would not have been able to get independence for the country,” he said, adding that Sardar Patel, one of the five greatest leaders of the Congress, also hailed from Gujarat.
Gandhi, on the first day of his visit on Friday, had held meetings with party leaders and district and block-level presidents. The upcoming All India Congress Committee (AICC) session is scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad on April 8-9. It will be held in the state after 64 years.
In the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections, the Congress won only 17 of the 182 seats in the state. However, the party’s strength in the House dropped to 12 after the resignation of five MLAs.
(With PTI Inputs)
