'Race ka ghoda race mein, baraat ka ghoda baraat mein': Rahul Gandhi's prescription for Congress' revival in Gujarat

Rahul Gandhi

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has told party workers that to defeat the BJP-RSS electorally and ideologically, a win in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, is absolutely crucial.

Addressing party workers in Gujarat's Modasa on April 16, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said the leadership had chalked out a strategy to revive the Congress unit in the state, which is due for assembly polls in 2027.

This is the former Congress chief’s second visit to the state in as many weeks. The Congress Working Committee met for two days in Ahmedabad during which it passed a “special resolution” targeting the 2027 polls. Looking to boost the morale of the party workers in the state where the Congress has remained out of power for 30 years, Gandhi encouraged them to take on the BJP, saying an electoral outcome in favour of the party was a real possibility.

Reflecting upon his interactions with district leaders, Gandhi said the moot point was the lack of participation of local leaders in important electoral aspects like ticket distribution and taking micro-level decisions. Drawing an analogy, Gandhi said that there are three types of horses: "Race ka ghoda, baraat ka ghoda and Langda ghoda. The problem in Gujarat was the party was using race ka ghoda for baraat, and baraat ka ghoda for race. From Now on, we have decide to use Race ka ghoda race mein, baraat ka ghoda baraat mein," quipped Rahul Gandhi.

On Tuesday, Gandhi launched the ‘Sangathan Sirjan Abhiyan’ in Gujarat, marking a strategic push to revive the party’s grassroots. The LoP's two-day visit to the state marks the beginning of Congress’s renewed campaign, closely tied to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s call for 2025 to be the "year of organizational reforms."

Rahul had asked workers to submit written suggestions on how the party can be revived in the western state. Workers flagged infighting, senior-level desertions, district-level insubordination and internal elections that funneled youth Congress talent into BJP’s waiting arms.

The visit focuses on revamping the Congress’s district structure, with a core plan to strengthen District Congress Committees and enforce stricter accountability. Gandhi will not only launch this initiative but also energize the cadre by directly engaging with party workers in key zones.

The strategic push comes on the heels of a crucial meeting between the Congress Working Committee and the All India Congress Committee in Ahmedabad last week. The closed-door session not only echoed Kharge’s vision but also solidified the party’s commitment to a structural overhaul, with Gandhi now leading the charge.

In a swift move to tighten its grip on ground-level operations, the Congress has deployed a five-member observer team—four from Gujarat and one central—in its very first meeting under the new organisational revamp. The high-powered team has just ten days to file detailed district-wise reports, setting an urgent tone for accountability.