Revamped Gujarat Cong will defeat BJP-RSS, says Rahul

Admitting that the Gujarat Congress was “demoralised” after being out of power for three decades, former party president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called for major revamp of the state unit, emphasising it would play a crucial role in defeating the BJP-RSS.

Addressing party workers in Gujarat, the Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition stressed the need to empower local leaders and decentralise decision-making.

On his second visit to the state in a week, Rahul said, “I met senior leaders of your district who told me the competition among us is destructive, and not constructive…. Secondly, the local leaders are not included in the local ticket distribution.”

The Congress MP stressed the importance of grassroots leadership, stating that district presidents should be given the real authority. “The district unit should not be run from Ahmedabad, but the district itself. The district leaders should be strengthened and unit president handed responsibility and power. We are starting this work now,” he said.

Rahul linked the push for internal reforms to the Congress’ larger ideological battle with the BJP-RSS, asserting that Gujarat had a central role to play in countering the ruling party’s influence.

“The ongoing fight is not just political, but one of ideologies between the Congress and the BJP-RSS. The country knows if anyone can defeat the BJP, it’s only the Congress. If we have to defeat the BJP-RSS, the path goes through Gujarat,” he said.

India