'Demoralised in Gujarat for years': Rahul Gandhi bats for overhaul in Congress' state unit

NEW DELHI: Congress MP and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday called for sweeping changes in the Gujarat Congress unit, stressing the need to empower local leaders and decentralise decision-making within the party. He also drew attention to the grand old party's long dry spell in Gujarat.
Speaking at a public gathering, LoP in Lok Sabha said, “We have decided to bring out changes in Congress. I met senior leaders of your district who told me the competition among us is destructive and not constructive. Secondly, the local people are not included in local ticket distribution.”
He specified the importance of grassroots leadership, mentioning that district presidents should be given real authority. “The main point of the discussion was that the district should not be run from Ahmedabad. The district should run from the district. The district leaders should be strengthened. The district president should be handed responsibility and power. We are starting this work now,” he said.

Congress MP from Rae Bareli, linked the push for internal reform to the larger ideological battle with the BJP-RSS, asserting that Gujarat plays a central role in countering the ruling party's influence. “The ongoing fight is not just a political fight but also a fight of ideologies between BJP-RSS and Congress. The whole country knows that if anyone can defeat the BJP, it is only the Congress Party. If we have to defeat RSS and BJP in the country, the path goes through Gujarat,” he added.
Acknowledging the party’s long-standing struggles in the state, Gandhi said, “Our party started in Gujarat itself. You gave us our greatest leader, Mahatma Gandhi, and also Sardar Patel. But we have been demoralised in Gujarat for a long time... but I have come here to assure you that nothing is difficult.”
Meanwhile, the grand old party continues to protest against the BJP-led Centre over the Enforcement Directorate’s chargesheet against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.
The party has alleged that the move is politically motivated. Leaders like Amit Chavda and Imran Pratapgarhi criticised the government for misusing federal agencies to silence the opposition.