Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat
Credit: PTI Photo
Ahmedabad: In what is being perceived as a brutal message to partymen in Gujarat to get their act together, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that a section of the partymen in the state was in "collusion" with the BJP. He said that only after getting rid of such leaders the Congress will be able to do well in the state where power has eluded it for over 30 years.
Rahul's remarks were met with loud cheers by party workers who had gathered at Z Banquet Hall at Sindhu Bhavan Road here in Ahmedabad. Addressing the workers during his last day of his two-day visit, the Rae Bareli MP said, "People of Gujarat want a real alternative and not a B team of the BJP."
"There is a division in Gujarat leadership right from district, block president levels. There are two types of leaders. One set of leaders are standing with the people and for the people and in their hearts have the Congress ideology. The other set of leaders are cut off from the people, sitting far away from them and don't respect them. Half of them are in collusion with the BJP. Until we separate these two, people will not trust us. Gujarati people, businessmen, small and medium businessmen, farmers, labourers, students want opposition...they want an alternative but not the B team of BJP," Rahul said in his speech.
Warning against such leaders, Gandhi said, "Out first job is to separate these two groups and if we have to take stern action by removing 30-34 people, we should do it. If people are working for the BJP from inside, then remove them and let them work for the BJP from outside. Let's see how they make space for such people because they (BJP) will pick and later throw them out."
Highlighting the performance of the party in Telangana by increasing 22 percent vote share, Rahul said that despite the party being away from power for 30 years in Gujarat, it has been receiving a good share of votes. He claimed that the opposition has 40 per cent of vote share in Gujarat and "needed only 5 per cent increase to win." He said that it was the need of the party to "join with the people, go in their midst and understand what they want."
"Gujarat is stuck...it is not getting direction and Congress party is not able to give them direction. I am not scared or embarrassed. But I want to put this in front of you that whether it is our workers, or Rahul Gandhi, or the general secretary or the PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) president, we are not (being) able to show Gujarat a way,” Rahul said, adding that the party will have to accept that "we failed to build a relationship with the people of Gujarat."
Mentioning Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel-who hailed from the state-in his speech, Rahul said that these two leaders were among top five Congress leaders who were from Gujarat who shaped the Congress party and its ideologies. He said that Congress will have to reach out to people and learn from Gandhi and Patel to reclaim party's lost ground.