Democratic politics have changed globally: Rahul Gandhi

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday asserted that democratic politics had fundamentally changed across the globe. “Rules that applied a decade ago simply no longer apply; they cannot withstand the concentration of capital, modern media and modern social media,” the former AICC president said, adding, “What was effective 10 years ago, and the tools that worked 10 years ago, simply do not work today. In a sense, the old politician is dead, and a new type of politician must be constructed.” Rahul Gandhi was addressing the plenary of the Bharat Summit 2025, organised by the Telangana government in Hyderabad and attended by around 100 progressive parties from across the globe to discuss climate justice, gender justice, technology, multilateralism, economic and social justice, youth development, peace, and justice. “The tools that once worked cannot stand up to the modern concentration of capital, media, and social media. The old model of a politician is obsolete; a new kind of leadership must be constructed,” he said.Speaking on the reasons that led him to undertake the “Bharat Jodo Yatra”, he said that the Congress felt “trapped and isolated” in a political atmosphere that no longer allowed it to operate freely.

As we all know, democratic politics has undergone a fundamental shift globally. The rules that applied a decade ago no longer apply.

When speaking to younger party members, I often say that the strategies that worked ten years ago are now ineffective. They can't compete with… pic.twitter.com/OfFXEPBlCU

— Congress (@INCIndia) April 26, 2025

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy said his government was working on fulfilling the aspirations of all sections of society, including students, youth, farmers, women and the oppressed communities in particular. The chief minister said his government’s policy was to generate more revenue and distribute the wealth to the poor.