Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is currently visiting Gujarat, a state traditionally considered a BJP stronghold. He is participating in a training camp for District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents in Junagadh, which concludes today after a 10-day duration. This marks Rahul Gandhi’s seventh visit to Gujarat in the last six months and his second trip within a week, indicating a significant focus on the state.
Gujarat has been a BJP bastion, and Rahul Gandhi aims to make inroads. He plans to tour all 182 assembly constituencies in the western state in the coming months to assess the ground situation. During his April visit to Gujarat, Rahul emphasized that the path to defeating the BJP at the national level goes through Gujarat.
Rahul’s vision for Gujarat is clear. With the assembly elections scheduled for 2027, less than two years away, he believes that a BJP loss in Gujarat would reflect on Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah, both hailing from Gujarat. Rahul has expressed confidence in defeating the BJP in the 2027 elections, citing the near-victory of the Congress in the 2017 assembly elections when he was Congress President. The Congress secured 77 seats, while the BJP won 99. Many Congress leaders believe a win in Gujarat would send a strong message across the country and contribute to the INDIA alliance’s success in the 2029 national elections.
New district heads in Gujarat are now participating in training camps, learning about the party’s ideology, policies, how to counter the state government, and how to plan political campaigns.
In the 2022 assembly elections, Congress won only 17 seats, with its vote share declining from 40% to 28%. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made an impact, securing 5 seats and 13% of the vote share. The BJP achieved its best performance, winning 156 seats with a 52% vote share. Rahul Gandhi is consistently touring Gujarat, working to strengthen the organization. The success of these efforts will be seen in the 2027 elections.
Rahul is also focused on building a new Congress to compete with the BJP in Gujarat. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge stated at the camp’s inauguration that two individuals from Gujarat had liberated and united the country, but now two individuals from Gujarat, who are in Delhi, are taking away freedom and do not want to preserve democracy. Kharge indirectly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, referencing Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. The Congress training camp is taking place shortly before municipal and city council elections in Gujarat.