Gehlot backs Rahul as INDIA bloc face, says contest should be 'Modi Vs Rahul'

Business To Business, Jaipur, 14^th June, 2026:    Former Ashok Gehlot on Sunday advocated a more prominent leadership role for Rahul Gandhi within the opposition alliance, arguing that the INDIA alliance should openly project him as its face.
Speaking at an award function in Jaipur, Gehlot said the country should be presented with a clear political choice of "Modi versus Rahul Gandhi," referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Congress leader.
The senior Congress leader also suggested that opposition politics should move toward a "BJP versus all" framework rather than a "Congress versus all" contest. According to him, opposition parties need to unite more effectively to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Gehlot stressed the need to strengthen the INDIA bloc and said that the Indian National Congress, as the largest constituent of the alliance, bears the greatest responsibility for maintaining unity among opposition parties.
He also made a sharp criticism of the BJP, claiming that if former prime minister Indira Gandhi were in power today, she would have taken action against a party that, in his view, practises politics in the name of religion.
The remarks come as opposition parties continue discussions on strategy and leadership ahead of future electoral contests, with the INDIA alliance seeking to consolidate support against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.