People of Gujarat want alternative vision, not B-team of BJP: Rahul Gandhi

Ahmedabad: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the people of Gujarat desperately want an alternative to the three-decade-long rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“People of Gujarat want an alternative vision, not the B-team of the BJP,” Gandhi said, while addressing party workers here on Sunday. He said, that Congress can easily provide that alternative. He noted that the Congress only needs to improve its vote share by five per cent in Gujarat, and there will be a complete turnaround.

‘Current model of government has completely failed’

The senior Congress leader pointed out that Gujarat gave great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel to the Congress and to the nation. He said the people of Gujarat were expecting the Congress to provide the same sort of leadership once again.

Gandhi said, he wanted to build up a relationship with the people of Gujarat including the youth, the farmers, the labourers, small and medium businessmen and traders, who were looking towards Congress to provide an alternative vision, as the current ‘model’ that has been in place for about last three decades has completely failed.

‘Gujarat business and trade destroyed under BJP’

He noted that the small and medium industries and trade were the backbone of Gujarat’s economy. “But, this section of the business and trade had been completely destroyed,” he said while referring to the massive decline in the diamond, textile and ceramic industry.

“Gujarat is stuck; it is looking for a way out. It does not see a way out,” Rahul Gandhi said, while adding, “Gujarat wants to move forward.” He said that the people of Gujarat want an alternative and not a B-team of the BJP.

Gandhi said that the leadership of the party, including himself, right up to the district and block level, needed to first build a relationship with the people of Gujarat; only then could the expectations of the people be fulfilled.

‘Some Gujarat Congress leaders secretly working for the BJP’

He said that there are two types of people among Gujarat Congress leaders and workers – those who stand with the public, fight for the public, respect public and who believe in Congress ideology; others who are disconnected from the public, don’t respect the public and half of them are secretly working for the BJP and who need to be sieved out. Because, he asserted, the youth, the traders, the farmers and others want an alternative vision and not a B-team of the BJP.

The Leader of the Opposition said that the Congress can easily provide this vision for which the right kind of people need to be at the right place. He said that the Congress leaders from the top to the grassroots level need to connect with the people of Gujarat and listen to their problems.

‘Perfect position to stage a comeback’

Asserting that Congress was in a perfect position to stage a comeback in Gujarat, he said, opposition in Gujarat still commands 40 per cent support. He said the Congress needed to increase its vote share by five per cent only. Quoting the example of Telangana, where Congress increased its vote share by 22 per cent, he said, if the party can increase that much vote share in Telangana, it can also increase five per cent vote share in Gujarat and turn the tables.