Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, performed ten push-ups as a lighthearted ‘punishment’ for arriving late to a party training camp in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday. Gandhi was reportedly two minutes late for the session.
The “ten push-ups punishment rule” was set by Sachin Rao, head of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Training Department, for all participants who arrive late at the camp. Congress leaders confirmed that Gandhi, an MP from Rae Bareilly, promptly complied with the rule.
Discipline and Internal Democracy
The incident was highlighted by party leaders as a sign of strict internal discipline and the party’s democratic values, where all members are treated equally regardless of rank.
- Rule Compliance: MP Congress media coordinator Abhinav Barolia confirmed the incident, stating, “This is nothing new or surprising for our leader, Rahulji, to do. In our camp, we follow the discipline strictly.”
- No ‘Bossism’: Barolia contrasted this with the opposition, saying, “There is a democracy in the party where all members are equal and treated as equals. There is no bossism in our party like in the BJP.”
After completing the push-ups, Gandhi continued to address the district and city unit chiefs. He later flew to Bihar for campaigning. Rao, when contacted about the incident, stated he did not have the liberty to discuss what occurred inside the camp.
The Sangathan Srajan Abhiyan
The training camp in Pachmarhi is part of the Congress’s ongoing Sangathan Srajan Abhiyan (SSA), or Organization Creation Campaign, which is scheduled to end on November 11.
- Goal: The SSA was launched to strengthen the party organization at the grassroots level, focusing on rebuilding the party’s structure ahead of the 2028 Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls.
- Timeline: The drive was announced during an extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Belagavi in December last year and was launched in Madhya Pradesh from Bhopal on June 3 this year.
- Focus: The party has been out of power in the state for a long time, and the SSA is seen as a crucial step toward “Mission 2028,” aimed at forming the government in Madhya Pradesh once again. The training sessions cover political aspects, electoral roll management, and countering misinformation.
This visit marked Rahul Gandhi’s second trip to Madhya Pradesh in five months as part of the organizational strengthening exercise.