NEW DELHI, April 26 — Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said democratic politics has undergone a fundamental transformation globally, and the tools and rules that once worked no longer hold in today’s political landscape.
Speaking at the Bharat Summit 2025, Gandhi said the current atmosphere demands a different kind of leadership.
“Politics, democratic politics, have fundamentally changed across the globe. The rules that applied, I would say, a decade ago simply do not apply any more,” he said.
“Sometimes, when I speak to younger members of our party, what was effective 10 years ago, the tools that worked 10 years ago, simply do not work anymore.”
In a candid reflection on his Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha raised concerns that politicians have increasingly failed to listen to the people they serve.
“I realised during the yatra that politicians have stopped listening to the voices of the people,” Gandhi said, adding that a different style of political engagement is now necessary.
“In a sense, the old politician is dead and a new kind of politician has to be constructed,” he stated.
Gandhi also acknowledged a change in his schedule, mentioning he was originally set to address the gathering on Friday but had to travel to Kashmir instead following the Pahalgam terror attack.
He thanked the delegates for their solidarity with India during the difficult time.
The Bharat Summit, a two-day event that opened Friday, aims to foster dialogue on global justice, equity, and progressive cooperation.
