Congress Faces Gujarat Crossroads: Can Rahul Gandhi Reclaim a Lost Legacy?

Ahmedabad, Gujarat: For the first time in over six decades, the Congress party will hold an AICC session in Gujarat on April 9. The move signals a bold attempt to reclaim lost ground in a state it hasn’t ruled since 1995. At a recent Ahmedabad rally, Rahul Gandhi’s fiery speech about removing BJP loyalists within Congress stirred both applause and unease, highlighting the party’s deep internal rifts.

Gujarat has long been a complex ideological battlefield for the Congress. Leaders like Sardar Patel, K.M. Munshi, and Morarji Desai once represented a conservative core, often clashing with progressive voices. Political experts believe this contradiction paved the way for BJP's dominance.

The 1985 KHAM coalition (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) under Madhavsinh Solanki delivered Congress’s last big win—but also triggered caste riots and upper-caste backlash, which the BJP exploited by promoting Hindu unity.

As Modi’s brand of Gujarati asmita gained popularity, Congress struggled with defections and identity crises. “Rahul Gandhi’s purge may energize loyalists,” says political scientist Ghanshyam Shah, “but without clarity and unity, Congress risks repeating its mistakes.”

Now, with Gujarat in focus once more, Congress faces a defining question: Can it reconnect with its roots while countering the ideological force it once nurtured?