On Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a bold statement, accusing certain party members of working in favor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha suggested that if necessary, 30 to 40 Congress leaders could be removed.
Speaking on the second day of his Gujarat visit, Gandhi emphasized the need to weed out leaders and workers from the state Congress unit who might be secretly collaborating with the BJP. He warned of strict action, even to the extent of removals, as part of his strategy to overhaul the party in Gujarat, a state where Congress has been out of power for decades. The visit is focused on preparations for the 2027 Gujarat Assembly elections.
“There are two types of people in the Gujarat Congress leadership and among workers,” Gandhi told party members. “One group is honest, fights for the people, respects them, and holds the ideology of Congress in their heart. The other group is disconnected from the people, distant, and many are aligned with the BJP.”
He went on to warn that strict action would be taken against those working for the BJP. “To reconnect with the people of Gujarat, we need to do two things. First, we must separate these two groups. If we have to remove 10, 15, 20, 30, or 40 people to set an example, we are ready to do that,” Gandhi was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Gandhi acknowledged Congress’s failure to meet the expectations of the people of Gujarat and emphasized the importance of separating these factions. He stressed that the party needs to “find a place in the hearts of the people” without focusing solely on electoral victories or losses. Attacking the BJP government, he said that people felt “trapped” and that key industries were in decline. “The farmers of Gujarat are crying out for a new vision. The vision of the last 20-25 years has failed, and Congress can easily provide that vision. But this cannot happen unless we filter out these two types of people,” Gandhi stated.
He also recognized that Congress has not been in power for over 30 years and that the party has not lived up to the people’s expectations. “Unless we fulfill our responsibilities, the people of Gujarat will not support us in the elections. We should not ask them for the government until we have fulfilled our responsibilities. The day we fulfill our duties, I guarantee that the people of Gujarat will back us,” he added.
Gandhi concluded by stressing that all Congress leaders must work hard, engage with the people, and listen to their concerns. He expressed confidence that Congress could make a comeback in the state if its vote share increased by even 5%.
In the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections, Congress won just 17 out of 182 seats. However, after five MLAs resigned, the party’s strength in the state assembly dropped to 12. The BJP has been in power in Gujarat since 1995.
