‘Bring change in Delhi’: Gujarat Congress asks party workers to prepare for 2024 starting with Banaskantha polls

“I want to appeal to the entire leadership of Banaskantha that if you want to bring a change in Delhi in 2024 and if you want to unfurl the Congress’ tricolour in Gandhinagar in 2027, then you have to start today with Banaskantha taluka and district panchayat elections and with Goddess Amba Ma’s blessings,” Chavda told party workers and leaders who had gathered at the temple to celebrate his birthday.

He asked the cadres to start visiting each household and connect with the people before the elections. Comparing the present BJP rule in Gujarat and Delhi with the British rule of India, Chavda said, “Even today power and property are getting centralised. A handful of people are looting the country. People are being suppressed and an attempt is being made to usurp people’s democratic rights. Like Mahatma Gandhi fought for our Independence, we have to come together to fight (the BJP).”

Chavda pointed out that those who raise issues, like Rahul Gandhi, are being targeted by the present BJP regime. “When voices are raised (against the government), the Lok Sabha membership of Rahul Gandhi is taken away and those who expose lapses in recruitment examinations are being imprisoned,” he said without naming AAP’s Yuvrajsinh Jadeja who has exposed several question paper leaks in recruitment exams held in Gujarat.

“Once they (BJP) won 156 seats (in Gujarat), the government – full of pride – ended up changing the ‘mohanthal’ prasad at Ambaji to ‘chikki’. They won’t be knowing that any attempt to change the prasad of the Goddess could lead to them losing power,” Chavda said, narrating how people forced the BJP government to restore ‘mohanthal’ as prasad at Amabaji temple.

Later, Chavda and Congress leaders including Jagdish Thakor walked to the temple and offered prayers.