Barnala (Punjab), February 28 Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, warned party leaders on Saturday that they would be relegated to reserve positions if they could not function as a team.
This statement comes in the context of the infighting among Punjab Congress leaders, which has been evident in the past.
Asserting that a single player cannot win a match, Gandhi emphasized the importance of teamwork and said that no matter how prominent a leader may be, "no one is bigger than the party."
Given that Punjab will go to the polls early next year, Gandhi also stated that workers are supreme within the party, and all decisions will be made in consultation with them.
Gandhi was addressing the 'Kisan Mahachaupal' rally here in the politically significant Malwa region of the state, which houses 69 out of the 117 assembly seats in the state.
Senior Congress leaders from Punjab, including state party chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, former chief ministers Charanjit Singh Channi and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and senior leader Vijay Inder Singla, were present.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leaders K C Venugopal and Bhupesh Baghel, also attended the event.
Concluding his address, Gandhi, seemingly referring to the party's state unit, said, "I also want to convey a message to the Congress party that work is achieved through teamwork. One player cannot win a match. We have the entire team here."
"From Kharge ji and me, I want to convey this message: become a team player, or else we will make you a reserve player," he said.
"No matter how prominent (a leader) you may be, no one is bigger than the party. Become a team player, and if you do not, then Kharge ji and I will make you understand," he said.
Punjab will go to the polls in early 2027, and the Congress is seeking to regain control of the state from the AAP in the next election.
Notably, the Congress had last month issued a stern warning to its leaders in the state, asking them not to make any public statements on internal matters or against each other.
This warning came from the top party leadership at a strategic meeting on Punjab, following reports of conflict among state leaders.
The meeting also conveyed that there would be no change in leadership in the state, and the party high command would soon decide on candidate selection and campaigning.
Meanwhile, during his address here, Gandhi said, "Punjab is our strength. When I visit the state, I enjoy coming here because I can see India's strength and its foundation here."
"You are our protector, our foundation, and we love you. Don't forget this. Politics and other things are at their place, but don't forget that I love the people of Punjab... If I were to write a book, I would tell you in detail," he said.
"We have to make the future of the people of Punjab, its farmers, and its youth bright, and we have to make the state successful," he added.
