Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party would replicate what happened in Bihar in terms of electoral roll revision in other parts of the country as well, and alleged that the saffron party came to power in Gujarat through "vote theft".
He also said that while the Congress gave the Constitution and the right to vote to the people of the country, the ruling BJP was weakening these institutions.
Addressing district presidents of Gujarat after inaugurating their 10-day training camp in Junagadh — a second such camp after the one organised at Anand in the state which was inaugurated by Rahul Gandhi — he said that for the party to become stronger, it needs to identify people dedicated to its ideology.
"You have seen a glimpse of what happened with the voter list in Bihar. The BJP is going to do the same thing everywhere. The PCC president here has also revealed how the BJP has come to power in Gujarat through electoral fraud," Kharge said.
"You all know what happened in the Surat Lok Sabha constituency. That is why we need people dedicated to the party's ideology. There is no dearth of such staunch Congressmen in Gujarat. But we have to identify them, so that the party becomes strong. All of you prepare to move forward with patience and hard work. We will be there for you at every level to help and support," he said.
The Congress and other opposition parties have been protesting the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, arguing that the process was a "mischievous methodology" intended to disenfranchise a large number of voters.
"The Congress gave the country its Constitution and the right to vote, but today the BJP is weakening both," Kharge alleged.
He emphasised the need to protect the Constitution, stating that Congress leaders were fighting in Parliament and on the streets for the rights of the poor, farmers, and labourers, as well as against those who threaten social harmony or democratic institutions. He claimed this was why the BJP was "running the government at the Centre with the help of crutches."
Referencing Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, Kharge said, "You gave us two Gujaratis who brought freedom to the country. They united the country. Now, you have given us two more Gujaratis who are working against freedom. They are dividing people."
According to Kharge, every speech delivered by the Prime Minister starts and ends with a mention of the Congress. "He finds the mistake of the Congress in every failure, because he knows that it is the Congress party that can end their politics," he added.
The Congress chief announced that the party would be celebrating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150th birth anniversary across the country on 31 October and urged colleagues in Gujarat to celebrate it widely at the district level.
"For the last 25 years, the BJP has held power in Gujarat. People here have understood the reality on the ground and want to support the Congress, an indication of which they gave in 2017 (assembly elections)," he said.
He expressed his belief that the training would provide a new momentum for the Congress in Gujarat, with strong district units ensuring that "no one is able to stop the storm of change."
Kharge also noted that 2025 marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi becoming Congress president, and the party has designated it as the year of organisation building in his memory. "Congress chose Gujarat for the creation of the organisation because it is the virtuous land of Gandhiji, Sardar Patel, and Dadabhai Naoroji... The job of our organisation's people is to promote Congress ideology and connect with people," he said.
The ten-day training camp, part of the party's 'Sangathan Srujan Abhiyan' (campaign to strengthen the party organisation), is being held in Junagadh from 10 to 19 September and will be attended by party leader Rahul Gandhi. The first camp was held in Anand in July, where experts from various fields addressed participants. The training camps are being organised with the 2027 Gujarat assembly elections in mind, with the goal of preparing a road map for the party's 'Mission 2027'. The Congress recently appointed new presidents for all of its District Congress Committees in an effort to strengthen the party's organisation at the local level.
Also read: Kharge to launch Cong training camp for Gujarat unit chiefs
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