During his visit to Gujarat, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stressed the importance of strengthening the party by filtering out members who, he alleged, were aligned with the BJP. Addressing party workers in Ahmedabad on the second day of his Gujarat tour, Gandhi highlighted the division within the state’s Congress unit.
According to PTI, he pointed out that there are two categories of Congress workers and leaders in Gujarat—those who are committed to the party’s ideology, engage with the public, and work for their welfare, and those who remain distant, show a lack of respect for the people, and, in many cases, have connections with the BJP.
नेता विपक्ष श्री @RahulGandhi ने अहमदाबाद में पार्टी कार्यकर्ताओं और निकाय चुनाव के पूर्व उम्मीदवारों से मुलाकात की और सभा को संबोधित किया।
— Congress (@INCIndia) March 8, 2025
आज देश में हर तरफ अन्याय बढ़ता जा रहा है- ऐसे में कांग्रेस के ऊर्जावान कार्यकर्ताओं के ऊपर एक बड़ी जिम्मेदारी है।
हमें साथ मिलकर इस… pic.twitter.com/iVKCDFCYXh
Gandhi acknowledged the challenges Congress faces in the state and asserted that the party must first fulfill its responsibilities before seeking the people’s mandate. He stated, “The people of Gujarat will not make us win the elections until we fulfil our responsibilities…We should not even ask the people of Gujarat to bring us to power until we fulfil our responsibilities. I guarantee you that the day we do this, the people of Gujarat will give their support to the Congress party,” as reported by ANI.
He also emphasized the struggles of small businesses, traders, and entrepreneurs in Gujarat, describing them as the backbone of the state’s economy. However, he noted that these groups are facing difficulties and that farmers, too, are demanding a fresh approach. “The backbone of Gujarat is small traders, small and medium businesses, entrepreneurs. They are struggling. Farmers are shouting for a new vision. Congress can provide that vision, but first, we need to strengthen our organization,” he stated.
Highlighting electoral prospects, Gandhi pointed out that the Opposition in Gujarat already holds about 40% of the vote share and needs just a 5% increase to secure victory. Drawing a comparison with Telangana, where the party recently boosted its vote share significantly, he expressed confidence that similar gains could be achieved in Gujarat. However, he stressed that such success would only be possible if the party undergoes internal restructuring. “The opposition has 40 percent of the vote in Gujarat. We only need a 5 percent increase to win. We increased the vote share by 22 percent in Telangana. It can be done here too, but without filtering the party, it won’t happen,” he remarked.
His remarks underline the Congress party’s efforts to reorganize and present a stronger alternative to the ruling BJP in Gujarat, a state that has remained under BJP rule for over three decades.
