Ahmedabad, Gujarat : Political activity within the party organization has intensified following the arrival of Randeep Surjewala, the newly appointed Congress in-charge for Gujarat, in Ahmedabad. This marks Surjewala’s first visit to the state since assuming the role. Congress leaders and party workers accorded him a warm welcome at the Ahmedabad airport. Subsequently, party workers organized a bike rally from the airport to Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan. At the Gujarat Pradesh Congress office, Surjewala is scheduled to hold meetings with various office-bearers, including district presidents. With an eye on the 2027 Assembly elections, the Congress has already initiated efforts to strengthen its organizational structure.

Randeep Surjewala is recognized at the national level as an experienced and aggressive Congress leader. However, he faces several challenges in his role as the Gujarat in-charge. Addressing the internal factionalism and discontent among leaders within the party will be particularly crucial for him. Balancing the need to bring young leadership to the forefront while keeping senior leaders on board—and enhancing coordination within the organization—could prove to be a significant challenge.

Defections have also been a major issue for the Gujarat Congress over the past few years, with numerous leaders, MLAs, and party workers joining the BJP. In this situation, Surjewala’s priority may be to prevent further fragmentation while simultaneously restoring confidence and enthusiasm among Congress workers. Direct dialogue with disgruntled leaders and party workers could form a crucial part of his strategy.

The Gujarat BJP organization has long been considered robust; specifically, its organizational structure—extending from the booth level down to the ‘page pramukh’ (page in-charge)—is the backbone of the party’s electoral machinery. Revitalizing the Congress’s weakened organization in the face of this will not be an easy task for Surjewala. Additionally, he will need to address the erosion of the Congress’s traditional vote bank caused by the entry of parties like the Aam Aadmi Party.

Surjewala also possesses prior political experience in Gujarat; he was active as the Congress party’s media in-charge during the 2017 Assembly elections, a campaign in which the Congress successfully restricted the BJP to 99 seats. Drawing on this experience, he has a solid grasp of Gujarat’s political landscape and local issues. Furthermore, the successful strategy employed during his tenure as the party’s in-charge for Karnataka could potentially be replicated in Gujarat.

Randeep Surjewala also brings extensive experience as a national spokesperson for the Congress. Consequently, he will be responsible for shaping the media narrative in Gujarat by aggressively highlighting issues such as inflation, unemployment, and local public grievances against the government. Uniting the organization, mobilizing party workers, and crafting an effective political narrative against the BJP ahead of the 2027 elections could define the direction of his work. All eyes will now be on the changes within the Congress organization and the strategies formulated for the upcoming elections following Surjewala’s first visit to Gujarat.

Report – Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)