From Congress in 1987 to BJP Now: Arvind Kejriwal Warns Against Ignoring Gujarat’s Farmers’ Anger

October 16, 2025

Ahmedabad: Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has fired a fresh salvo at the Bharatiya Janata Party, predicting its political downfall in Gujarat.

In a sharply worded video message shared on X this morning, Kejriwal compared the BJP’s long rule to the Congress’s dominance in the 1980s — and warned that arrogance could bring the same fate.

1985 में गुजरात में कांग्रेस की 182 में से 149 सीट आई थीं। कांग्रेस को अहंकार हो गया। 1987 में किसान आंदोलन हुआ। कांग्रेस ने उसका दमन किया और गुजरात के लोगों ने 149 सीट वाली कांग्रेस को अगले चुनाव में उखाड़ फेंका।

पिछले 30 साल से गुजरात में बीजेपी का शासन है। उन्हें भी अब बहुत… pic.twitter.com/Nsd4IsHLlc

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 16, 2025

“In 1985, Congress won 149 out of 182 seats in Gujarat. Arrogance set in. Then came the 1987 farmers’ movement. Congress crushed it, and the people of Gujarat uprooted that 149-seat Congress in the next election,” Kejriwal said.

The nearly six-minute video, which has already crossed 1,600 views, quickly sparked heated political debate online.

Kejriwal accused the BJP, which has ruled Gujarat continuously since 1995, of repeating the Congress’s mistakes.

“For 30 years, BJP has ruled Gujarat. They’ve become arrogant. They’ve started suppressing farmers. And just like Congress, the people of Gujarat will uproot BJP in the next election,” he declared, calling on voters to “remember the power of collective outrage.”

Farmers’ Unrest as the Backdrop

Kejriwal’s attack comes amid growing farmer protests across Gujarat, driven by anger over falling cotton prices, alleged corruption in market yards, and the government’s recent decision to waive import duties on US cotton until December 31, 2025.

The AAP leader has repeatedly slammed the move as a betrayal of Gujarat’s farmers.

“This decision will enrich American farmers while impoverishing those in Gujarat,” Kejriwal said earlier this week.

Tensions have been rising since the summer, with AAP’s Gujarat unit taking a visible role in farmer demonstrations under its “Gujarat Jodo Abhiyan” campaign — launched in July to build grassroots momentum before the 2027 Assembly elections.

Crackdown on Protests

Kejriwal also used his post to highlight the arrests of AAP leaders supporting farmer movements.

On Wednesday, he accused the BJP government of “jailing those who stand with farmers,” citing the detention of Praveen Ram and Raju Karpada during protests in Botad.

Earlier this month, AAP’s Gujarat president Isudan Gadhvi was detained en route to a farmers’ mahapanchayat — an action Kejriwal condemned as an “assault on democracy.”

In a follow-up post, he wrote, “In BJP’s rule, if you raise your voice for farmers, you’re thrown in jail.”

The footage he shared of the midnight arrests quickly spread across social media, energizing AAP’s supporters and drawing attention to the state’s handling of protests.

Political Implications

Analysts say Kejriwal’s video marks an escalation in AAP’s strategy to position itself as the farmers’ party and break into Gujarat’s traditionally two-party landscape.

Political scientist Professor Rita Shah of Gujarat University noted,

“Kejriwal is weaponizing history to tap into anti-incumbency sentiments, especially among rural voters who feel neglected after three decades of BJP rule.”

AAP’s recent bypoll victory in Visavadar has boosted morale. The party has also announced that if elected, it will offer loan waivers up to ₹2 lakh for farmers — a promise aimed squarely at Gujarat’s agrarian voters.

Since July, Kejriwal has distanced himself from the Congress, ending any prospects of an alliance and accusing the party of “failing to challenge the BJP” on key issues like unemployment and farmer distress.

BJP’s Response

The BJP has so far avoided a direct response to Kejriwal’s latest remarks. State leaders have dismissed AAP’s protests as “stunt politics,” insisting that the government is already addressing farmers’ concerns through support prices and infrastructure aid.

However, on the ground, discontent continues to simmer in Gujarat’s cotton belt. Many farmers have complained that they are unable to recover even their input costs, despite rising exports and government assurances.

The Road Ahead

As Gujarat heads toward the 2027 Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party appears determined to expand its base beyond urban voters and into the state’s rural heartland.

Kejriwal’s message is clear — that history punishes arrogance.

Whether his warning becomes political prophecy remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Gujarat’s political battle lines are hardening, and the state’s farmers may once again hold the key to change