Rahul Gandhi begins two-day Gujarat visit, meets key Congress leaders

Ahmedabad: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday morning as part of his two-day Gujarat visit, during which he will hold meetings with party leaders with a focus on the 2027 assembly elections.

After his arrival at the airport here, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha headed Gujarat Congress’ headquarters in the Paldi area of the city.

He first met senior party leaders, including former state Congress presidents, and former leaders of opposition in the assembly, said the party in a statement.

Later in the day, he will attend a meeting with members of the state political affairs committee.

In a statement on Thursday, the Congress said Gandhi had earlier asserted that the party would win the 2027 Gujarat assembly elections and he would be visiting the state to start the work for the polls.

Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been under BJP rule since 1995.

On Friday evening, Gandhi will meet district and city presidents of the Congress and its taluka and municipality chiefs. He will interact with the representatives of social organisations between 5 pm and 7 pm, the media release said.

Gandhi will address party workers in Ahmedabad on Saturday and leave for Delhi that afternoon.

The upcoming All India Congress Committee (AICC) session is scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad on April 8-9. It will be held in the state after 64 years.

Party general secretary K C Venugopal had visited Gujarat last Tuesday to oversee preparations for the meeting.

In the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections, the Congress won only 17 of the 182 seats in the state. But the party’s strength in the House came down to 12 after the resignation of five MLAs.