Congress leader Rahul Gandhi openly criticised his own party in Gujarat, attributing its failure to win elections over the past 30 years to internal weaknesses. He accused certain Congress leaders of secretly working for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while remaining in the Congress, calling for their removal to strengthen the organisation.
Addressing a workers’ meeting in Ahmedabad on Saturday, he said, “There are two types of Congress leaders – those who are truly aligned with the party and its ideology, and those who, while being part of Congress, are actually working for the BJP.”
“Until we separate these two groups and remove those who act as the B-team of the BJP, we will not be able to win Gujarat.”
Gandhi acknowledged that Gujarat would not support the Congress unless it fulfilled its responsibilities in the state. He questioned why the party had failed to connect with the average Gujarati and blamed a divide in the leadership structure.
“One section stands with the people, respects them and aligns with Gujarat’s ideology. The other is disconnected, fails to understand Gujaratis, and, unfortunately, many within this group have an arrangement with the BJP,” he said.
He stressed that unless such elements were removed, the public would not trust the Congress as a viable alternative. “The people of Gujarat – traders, farmers, labourers, students, and women – want a strong opposition, not a B-team,” he said.
He vowed to take responsibility for identifying and removing those working against the party’s interests. “Congress does not lack strong leaders. Our ‘Babbar Shers’ are chained. We deploy horses meant for wedding processions in races while using racehorses for wedding processions.”
Gandhi emphasised the need for strict action, stating that even if it meant expelling 20-40 leaders, the party must act decisively. He asserted that Congress should only be led by those who genuinely uphold its ideology. “Forget victory or defeat; what matters is that the organisation remains in the hands of those who truly believe in Congress,” he said.
He pointed to Gujarat’s historical significance in India’s independence movement, crediting the state with producing leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. He argued that the BJP’s rule had left Gujarat directionless and that the Congress had failed to provide an alternative.
“I am not hesitant to admit this reality. Over the past 20-30 years, we have not met the expectations of Gujaratis,” he said. He stressed the importance of rebuilding trust with Gujarat’s youth and small business owners, particularly those in the diamond, ceramic, and chemical industries, who he claimed had suffered under BJP rule.
Gandhi called on Congress leaders to engage directly with the people, listen to their concerns, and avoid hollow rhetoric. He insisted that the opposition already had 40% of the vote share in Gujarat but had internalised the belief that Congress was weak.
“If we increase our vote share by just 5%, we can win Gujarat. We achieved a 22% increase in Telangana, but in Gujarat, this will not happen unless we first clean up our party,” he said.
Expressing his intent to deepen his understanding of Gujarat, Gandhi said he would travel more extensively and interact with ordinary people. “Gujaratis already have confidence; we just need to reinforce it,” he said, joking that his visits to the state always led to weight gain due to the local cuisine.
Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil praised Gandhi’s leadership, calling him ‘janneta’ for his humility and deep connection with party workers. He contrasted Gandhi’s willingness to engage with crisis situations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach. “Rahul Gandhi does not fear anyone. He visited Manipur amid civil unrest and listened to the people,” Gohil said.
He also noted that Gandhi had celebrated International Women’s Day in Dahod the previous year.
Gohil acknowledged the need for organisational reforms and confirmed that a committee had been established to assess necessary changes. “The party will take decisive steps to strengthen its structure and reconnect with voters,” he said.
Gandhi’s visit to Gujarat came after the BJP reinforced its dominance in Gujarat by sweeping the local body elections for the Junagadh Municipal Corporation (JuMC), 68 municipalities, three taluka panchayats, and several by-elections.
The BJP secured 48 of the 60 JuMC seats, while Congress increased its tally from one to 11. In the municipality elections, the BJP won 62 of 68 municipalities, while the Congress secured only one, losing 12 municipalities compared to 2018.
Of the 1,840 seats across the 68 municipalities, the BJP won 1,341, Congress 252, independents 151, AAP 27, BSP 43, and others 8. The BJP also won all three taluka panchayats – Gandhinagar, Kapadvanj, and Kathlal – taking 55 out of 78 seats, while Congress secured 17 and independents six.
The BJP further retained its dominance in municipal corporations, winning all three by-elections in Ahmedabad, Surat, and Bhavnagar. In Ghatlodia, a BJP stronghold represented by chief minister Bhupendra Patel, Pravin Patel secured 22,353 of 24,621 votes.
In the district panchayat by-elections, the BJP claimed all nine seats. In the taluka panchayat by-elections, the party won 73 of 88 seats, while Congress secured 12, AAP two, and one independent candidate emerged victorious.
The BJP’s recent electoral triumph follows its 2022 assembly election victory, where it secured 156 seats—the highest ever in Gujarat’s history—while Congress fell to its lowest tally in three decades, winning just 17 seats, which has since dropped to 12 due to resignations.
The Aam Aadmi Party won five seats.
Despite the BJP’s stronghold, Congress’ Geniben Thakor achieved a breakthrough by winning the Banaskantha seat – the first opposition victory in Gujarat since 2014.
The BJP won 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state, with Union home minister Amit Shah securing Gandhinagar, BJP state president C.R. Patil winning Navsari, and Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya claiming Porbandar.
This article was originally published on Vibes of India. It has been lightly edited for style.
