LoP in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
Credit: @INCIndia on X via PTI Photo
Ahmedabad: While admitting that the Congress has been "demoralized" in the state for long, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday assured the party workers that "only Congress can defeat BJP-RSS in the country and that path goes through Gujarat."
"For the past few months we have been internally discussing how to strengthen the party. Indeed, the fight going on is, no doubt, political but this is also a fight of ideologies. Only two parties have ideologies, BJP-RSS and Congress. First of all, we have to defeat RSS-BJP in the country, and the road to defeat BJP goes through Gujarat," Gandhi said in his address to party workers in Modasa, Aravalli district.
"We have decided to introduce changes in the party soon. I met leaders of your district who told me that competition among us is destructive and not constructive. Besides, the local leaders are not included in ticket distribution." He assured the party men that this will change soon.
"Our party started in Gujarat itself. You gave us our greatest leader, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel. But we have been demoralised in the Gujarat for many years. It seems difficult but I have come here to assure you that nothing is difficult."
He said that the party has decided to bring about changes by empowering district leaders who can take decision on their own. He stated that the district presidents should be handed responsibility and power. "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 president should be handed responsibility and power. We are starting this work now," Gandhi said.
The party also launched its drive "Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan" at district levels. Under this campaign, a team of five-member observer been assigned to each of the 41 districts congress committee where they will be visiting from April 23 to May 9 for consultations.
The team will chose six names and send it to AICC. By May 31, final decision for appointing presidents in all 41 district chiefs including eight in major cities of the state will be taken. 41 districts includes 33 districts of the state and eight major cities.
Meanwhile, party workers also launched a protest against the Enforcement Directorate for filing chargesheet against Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in connection with National Herald case. The Congress workers in Ahmedabad staged protest in front of ED office at Helmet crossroads. The police detained the Congress workers led by senior leader Himmatsinh Patel.