Only Congress can defeat BJP, says Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is currently on a two-day visit to Gujarat, focusing on the party's organizational restructuring ahead of the 2027 state assembly elections. His visit underscores Gujarat's strategic importance as the starting point for the All India Congress Committee's (AICC) nationwide revamp initiative. On the second leg of his Gujarat tour within a week, Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday reaffirmed his party’s commitment to reviving its base in the state and defeating the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Addressing booth-level Congress workers in Modasa town of Arvalli district, Gandhi acknowledged the visible demoralisation among party cadres in Gujarat but asserted that only the Congress has the strength and ideological clarity to challenge and ultimately defeat the BJP-RSS machinery, which has maintained a near three-decade grip on power in the state.“Gujarat is the most important state for the Congress party. We seem demoralised here, but we will defeat them. I am here to tell you that it is not difficult. We will definitely finish this task. Only the Congress party can defeat the RSS and the BJP,” Gandhi declared to a spirited gathering.
The Congress scion launched a pilot project in Modasa aimed at strengthening district-level party units, marking a key step in the party’s ongoing organizational overhaul ahead of the 2027 Gujarat assembly elections. The initiative is part of a broader revamp being rolled out by the All India Congress Committee (AICC), with Gujarat selected as the first state for implementation. Gandhi’s comments come amid internal restructuring efforts across the country, where the Congress is working to empower District Congress Committees (DCCs) and energize grassroots-level functionaries. The Modasa meeting follows his high-level strategy sessions in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, where he cautioned that leadership roles in the revamped organization would be reserved for those showing real commitment to the party’s objectives.

Modasa, Gujarat: Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP, Rahul Gandhi says, "...The main takeaway from our discussion was that a district should not be run from Ahmedabad, but from the district itself. The local district leaders should be empowered, especially the district president, who… pic.twitter.com/L5XKQgzw9d

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Reiterating the need for accountability and grassroots engagement, Gandhi has instructed party observers and local leaders to finalize the selection of presidents for 41 district and city units in Gujarat. The party sees this bottom-up strategy as vital to regaining its electoral foothold in the state.  Once a Congress stronghold, Gujarat has remained elusive to the grand old party since 1995, with the BJP dominating successive assembly and parliamentary polls. Gandhi’s strong statements signal a renewed determination to reclaim lost ground in a state that holds both symbolic and strategic importance for the opposition.

(State Correspondent)