No More 'Sifaarish'? How Rahul Gandhi Is Building His Own Team In Message To Congress Veterans

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No More 'Sifaarish'? How Rahul Gandhi Is Building His Own Team In Message To Congress Veterans

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Last Updated: September 08, 2026, 13:17 IST

As Congress looks ahead to the 2029 LS election, Rahul Gandhi appears determined to have a team that he can trust and, more importantly, one that answers to his political vision

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Rahul Gandhi (centre) with his trusted aides Sachin Pilot (left) and Randeep Surjewala. (X)

Is Team Rahul Gandhi finally taking shape? It has been a work in progress, but more than that, it has been a process that has faced considerable resistance—from veterans who were part of the G23 to, initially, Sonia Gandhi herself, who believed her son needed to take it slow in his early years and adopt a balancing act within the party.

But Rahul Gandhi now appears to be getting more directly involved in building the organisation he wants.

For two days, he conducted interviews for the post of party secretaries: those who will work alongside general secretaries and senior leaders in handling organisational responsibilities. According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi was not particularly impressed with some of the candidates who appeared for the interviews, including those recommended by senior leaders.

Some of those names were reportedly rejected. The message Rahul Gandhi conveyed, according to sources, was clear: he wants to make his own choices and is unlikely to rely on ‘sifaarish’—recommendations from senior leaders—while building his team.

ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi Has One Big Problem Before 2029: Can He Unite The Opposition?

The small organisational reshuffle announced recently offers a glimpse into the changes underway.

Take Punjab. The decision to appoint Sachin Pilot as the state in-charge is significant. Punjab is one of the states where the Congress believes it has a realistic chance of returning to power, but those prospects have been repeatedly undermined by intense factionalism within the state unit.

Bhupesh Baghel had come under criticism for his perceived alignment with Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, adding another layer to the factional tensions.

Rahul Gandhi’s choice of Pilot suggests that he believes someone relatively young and politically close to him can take on the challenge and deliver. It also sends a message to the old guard, including leaders such as Ashok Gehlot, who have had differences with Pilot—Rahul Gandhi is willing to back his own political choices, even when they do not sit comfortably with the party’s veterans.

ALSO READ | The Rise Of Sachin Pilot: How Congress’s Rajasthan Problem Became Its Punjab Solution

Then there is Gujarat.

Earlier this year, during the Lok Sabha campaign, Rahul Gandhi openly challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and predicted that the BJP would lose Gujarat. For Rahul and the Congress, a Congress victory in the prime minister’s home state would carry enormous political significance.

Yet, the party’s efforts to weaken the BJP’s hold over Gujarat have so far yielded limited results. Behind closed doors, Rahul Gandhi has, according to party sources, expressed frustration with some of the leaders who were given responsibility for the state, questioning whether they had the political aggression required to take on the BJP or were sufficiently committed to the task.

The appointment of Randeep Surjewala as Gujarat in-charge, therefore, appears to be another instance of Rahul Gandhi putting his faith in a leader he considers capable of taking on the BJP head-on.

And these may not be the last changes. More organisational appointments are expected, with leaders who fit Rahul Gandhi’s political and organisational thinking likely to find greater space within the party. Manickam Tagore and Srinivas BV, who has been given charge of the Congress Seva Dal, are among the names that illustrate the direction in which the organisation appears to be moving.

For years, Rahul Gandhi has struggled to fully shape the Congress organisation in his own image. There has been resistance, hesitation and a constant balancing act between the old guard and a younger leadership.

That may now be changing.

As the Congress looks ahead to the 2029 Lok Sabha election, Rahul Gandhi appears determined to have a team that he can trust and, more importantly, one that answers to his political vision.

The wait has been long. But Indian politics often comes full circle. Rahul Gandhi now seems to be making sure that when the next big electoral battle arrives, he has his own team in place, with as few internal hurdles as possible.

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Quick Answers Powered by Ask News18 How is Rahul Gandhi building his own team within the Congress party? Rahul Gandhi is building his own team by directly conducting interviews for party secretaries, rejecting candidates recommended by senior leaders, and appointing individuals he trusts, such as Sachin Pilot in Punjab and Randeep Surjewala in Gujarat, to key positions. This approach signals a move away from relying on traditional recommendations and towards his own political vision. What is the significance of Sachin Pilot's appointment as Punjab in-charge? Sachin Pilot's appointment as Punjab in-charge is significant because it signals Rahul Gandhi's willingness to back his own political choices, even if they conflict with party veterans like Ashok Gehlot. It also aims to address intense factionalism within the state unit and leverage Pilot's relatively young leadership to improve the Congress's chances in Punjab. Why is Rahul Gandhi focusing on Gujarat and what changes are being made there? Rahul Gandhi is focusing on Gujarat because a Congress victory in the Prime Minister's home state would hold immense political significance. He has expressed frustration with previous leaders' lack of aggression against the BJP, leading to the appointment of Randeep Surjewala as Gujarat in-charge, a leader Rahul Gandhi believes is capable of taking on the BJP directly. Powered by Ask News18

About the Author Pallavi Ghosh Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. S... Read More

First Published: September 08, 2026, 13:04 IST

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