Fri Apr 18 09:59:56 UTC 2025: ## Congress Aims for Gujarat Comeback in 2027 After Decades of BJP Rule

**Ahmedabad, Gujarat –** The Indian National Congress (INC) is launching a major organizational overhaul and outreach program in a bid to regain its footing in Gujarat ahead of the 2027 state assembly elections. After suffering its worst-ever electoral defeat in Gujarat in 2022, securing only 17 out of 182 seats, the party is acknowledging past failures and vowing to implement significant changes.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has publicly criticized the party’s past performance, citing internal issues such as ineffective candidate selection and a disconnect between party workers and the electorate. He emphasized the need to purge inactive or BJP-aligned members and empower local party units with greater autonomy and decision-making power.

The party’s recent Ahmedabad session saw the passing of a resolution for a “massive organizational reshuffle” and a commitment to a “path of social justice.” This includes a planned mass contact program involving padyatras (foot marches) and door-to-door campaigns. The Congress aims to empower district unit chiefs, giving them enhanced accountability and a stronger role in candidate selection for the 2027 elections.

The article details the Congress’s history in Gujarat, tracing its dominance from the state’s formation in 1960 until the BJP’s rise to power in 1995. It highlights the party’s successes under Madhavsinh Solanki, who forged a powerful KHAM alliance (Kshatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis, Muslims), and its subsequent decline after the alienation of upper-caste groups and internal conflicts. The rise of Narendra Modi and the BJP is also discussed, along with the Congress’s recent struggles to compete against both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Gandhi’s recent visit to Gujarat saw the launch of the ‘Sangathan Srijan Abhigyan,’ a program designed to strengthen the party’s organizational structure. The Congress believes that reclaiming Gujarat is crucial to its broader national strategy, recognizing the state’s significance as a key battleground against the BJP.

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