Rahul Gandhi urges MP Congress chiefs to work at grassroots, stay upright

In the quiet hills of Pachmarhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed the party’s newly appointed district presidents — a gathering charged with introspection and resolve. His message was both moral and political: stand tall, stay clean, and return to the people.

Speaking at the ongoing camp organised under the ‘Sangathan Srajan Abhiyan’, an initiative to rebuild the party’s grassroots network in Madhya Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi urged the 71 district chiefs to shed ego, respect the humblest worker, and reconnect with the soil that sustains the Congress’s legacy.

“Reach the grassroots, the booth level. Respect even the smallest karyakarta. Set aside pride, travel through your areas with sincerity — that’s how victory is built,” one participant quoted Gandhi as saying.

Later that evening, Rahul Gandhi dined with the families of the participants, in what many described as a gesture that bridged hierarchy with humanity.

But his tone turned stern when he spoke of integrity. Rahul Gandhi cautioned leaders against the lure of corruption, citing examples of politicians who once flaunted power and wealth but were now “crawling before the government” after being hounded by it.

“Be upright and righteous,” he told them. “So that no one can blackmail you, or make you kneel.”

Before meeting the district presidents, Gandhi held discussions with senior Madhya Pradesh leaders — Digvijaya Singh, Arun Yadav, Ajay Singh, Jitu Patwari, and Umang Singhar — emphasising the need for unity and disciplined coordination as the party eyes a comeback in the 2028 Assembly elections.

“Rahul ji underlined that our strength lies in organisation, not in individuals,” senior leader Ajay Singh told reporters. “He wants us to rebuild from the roots upward.”

The Congress, which once briefly reclaimed power in the state under Kamal Nath between December 2018 and March 2020, has otherwise languished in the opposition since 2003. Its setback deepened in 2024, when the party failed to win even a single Lok Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh.

Now, in the heart of Pachmarhi, Rahul Gandhi’s call for moral renewal and grassroots revival seemed to carry both a warning and a promise — that the path to power, once again, begins with humility.