'One rotten mango ...': Mallikarjun Kharge warns Gujarat Congress against non-performing leaders

Kharge also slammed the BJP over alleged “vote theft” in Gujarat, the privatisation of public assets, and attacks on Rahul Gandhi.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, on Wednesday, delivered a blunt message to party leaders in Gujarat, urging them to act against non-performing and compromised members before they weaken the organisation further.

Kharge was addressing the inaugural District Congress Presidents’ training camp in Junagadh.

The party president cited an internal report which flagged underperformance in 19 out of 41 district and city units of the party.

“Those who don’t want to work and blame voters should be removed immediately. One rotten mango spoils the whole box… those who are eventually going to go to the other side should be sent now,” Kharge noted.

The report, compiled on the basis of party programmes over the last three months, ranks nine units as “first class,” 11 as “second,” while 19 require “improvement,” according to party leaders.

Kharge, during his speech, stressed discipline, commitment, and ideological clarity as essential for revitalising the party at the grassroots. He also cautioned against complacency during training camps, urging participants to stay devoted and consistent. “When you take up a task and believe in an ideology, you have to give it your all,” he said.

The Congress president also launched a fierce attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing them of undermining the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“Gujarat gave Gandhi and Patel to the nation, and now it has given two more leaders who are working against independence, freedom, and the Constitution,” Kharge lashed out.

Speaking further, he rejected the idea that the party’s battle was personal, insisting it was ideological.

“It is a matter of pride if the son of a chaiwala is the Prime Minister. I, too, am the son of a labourer. But we must fight the ideology that is weakening Gandhi, Patel and Nehru’s vision,” he said.

Kharge also slammed the BJP over alleged “vote theft” in Gujarat, the privatisation of public assets, and attacks on Rahul Gandhi. “When Rahulji questioned Chinese intrusion, they accused him of working for China. Today, they are going there and hugging them,” he remarked.

With the Congress reduced to just 12 MLAs in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly after defections, Kharge had a clear message that only discipline, performance, and ideological clarity can help the party revive in a state that has long been a BJP stronghold.