Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday morning, launching a two-day visit to Gujarat aimed at galvanizing party leaders and workers ahead of the 2027 state assembly elections. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha landed at the city’s airport and proceeded to the Gujarat Congress headquarters in Paldi for a series of strategic meetings.

Gandhi began his visit by meeting senior party figures, including former state Congress presidents and past opposition leaders in the assembly, according to a party statement. Later today, he will engage with the state political affairs committee to discuss election strategies. The Congress has struggled in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the BJP has held power since 1995. In the 2022 assembly elections, Congress secured just 17 of 182 seats, a number that dwindled to 12 after five MLAs resigned.

On Friday evening, Gandhi is scheduled to meet district, city, taluka, and municipality Congress presidents, followed by interactions with social organization representatives from 5 pm to 7 pm. On Saturday, he will address party workers in Ahmedabad before departing for Delhi in the afternoon.

The visit follows Gandhi’s earlier assertion that the Congress will triumph in the 2027 Gujarat polls, signaling an early start to election preparations. It also comes ahead of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session, set for April 8-9 in Ahmedabad—the first in the state in 64 years. Party general secretary K C Venugopal reviewed preparations for the event during a visit last Tuesday.

With the BJP’s long-standing dominance in Gujarat, Gandhi’s visit underscores the Congress’s intent to rebuild its presence and challenge the ruling party in the coming years.