New Delhi: Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi called upon the Gujarat unit to gird up their loins and strive to win at least 12 out of 26 Lok Sabha seats in the ensuing 2004 general elections and has asked: "The state team to launch a massive voter outreach drive over the next six months." "We have a good chance in Gujarat. Rahul wants us to regroup in the state,” AICC secretary in-charge of Gujarat BM Sandeep Kumar told ETV Bharat.
Rahul’s message was conveyed to the state unit by the newly appointed AICC in-charge of Gujarat Mukul Wasnik, who reviewed preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, along with senior state leaders on August 27 in Ahmedabad.
“It was an extended state unit Executive Committee meeting. Mukul Wasnik has been in-charge of Gujarat earlier and knows the state as well as the leaders very well. All the senior leaders were present and discussed ways to strengthen the party ahead of the 2024 national polls. We will conduct a massive public outreach programme over the next six months under which all the leaders and workers will travel across the state and inform the voters about the failures of the State government,” senior Gujarat Congress leader Siddartha Patel told ETV Bharat.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi asks Gujarat Congress to prepare for 2024 polls, to review key state soon
According to him, seven resolutions related to the proposed mass contact drive and reorganisation of the state unit were adopted during the August 27 strategy session supervised by Wasnik. Newly appointed state unit chief Shakti Sinh Gohil and CLP leader Amit Chavda were also present at the conclave, along with all the MLAs and senior leaders.
“Our main aim is to get the party united. A lot of issues are not being addressed by the State government like law and order, drug trafficking through ports, farmers issues, rights of Adivasis, jobs for the youths, price rise and the reservation for OBCs in jobs. We need to take the message to the voters. The mass contract drive will be a coordinated effort and the responsibilities of all the leaders will be fixed,” said Patel.
The Congress veteran said the grand old party would not allow a repeat of 2019 national polls when the BJP won all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state, in 2024. “We are targeting our best performance that was achieved in 2004 when the Congress won 12 out of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat. We will not let 2024 be like 2019. The voter outreach programme that will run till February next year will help us achieve that target,” said Patel.
The 2024 Lok Sabha poll fight in Gujarat is going to be between the BJP and the Congress, he said. “The AAP managed to swing some of the Congress voters in last year’s Assembly polls. But, they have been exposed now and have lost much of their support base. The mindset of the people is changing. There is a lot of opportunity for the Congress. The 2024 Lok Sabha poll fight is going to be between the BJP and the Congress. I don’t think the AAP will have any role in the parliamentary polls. It is not going to be easy for the BJP this time,” said Patel.
