AHMEDABAD: The Congress party’s defeat in Gujarat’s local body elections has triggered internal unrest in Ahmedabad, with six ward presidents removed from their posts and workers openly questioning the city leadership.
After the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) election results, internal differences within the party came into the open. While the Congress slightly improved its seat tally, the BJP won 160 of the 192 seats, leaving the Congress with just 32 seats.
The Congress had briefly celebrated symbolic victories, especially after winning a full panel in BJP stronghold Khadia. However, the celebrations soon turned into internal blame and dissatisfaction after the overall results.
Following the defeat, the Gujarat Congress leadership held zone-wise review meetings in the presence of state Congress president Amit Chavda. The party reportedly reviewed booth-level failures, weak organizational structures and election management in several wards.
Soon after the meetings, Ahmedabad City Congress president Sonal Patel removed six ward presidents from their responsibilities, holding them accountable for poor organizational performance during the elections.
The move, however, triggered strong reactions within the city unit.
Discontent among Congress workers became visible in internal WhatsApp groups, where workers and local leaders questioned the functioning of the city leadership. Several workers alleged that the organization entered the elections without proper coordination, strategy or ground-level preparation.
“The organization was never strengthened seriously before the elections. Workers were left directionless and then blamed after the defeat,” one party worker reportedly said during internal discussions.
Former Jodhpur ward president Rakesh Joshi also opposed the decision to remove ward presidents. He said ward-level leaders were not given enough time, manpower and resources to build an effective organization.
“It is unfair to expect miraculous results within just a few months of responsibility. If the core organizational weaknesses are ignored and only ward presidents are made scapegoats, the party will suffer even bigger damage in the future,” Joshi said.
Political observers believe the developments reflect a deeper crisis within the Gujarat Congress, with the party struggling to rebuild its organization while facing internal dissatisfaction and mistrust.
The developments in Ahmedabad are being closely watched across Gujarat, as the city unit is considered important for the party’s urban political future. Rising resentment among workers and leaders has increased pressure on the Congress leadership to prevent the internal conflict from escalating further before future elections.
For now, the BJP’s massive victory has not only weakened the Congress politically in Ahmedabad, but has also exposed internal divisions within the party organization.