Even after debacle, Congress backs Sonia, Rahul to the hilt

mangaloretoday.com/ DHNS

New Delhi: May 17, 2014 DHNS: Congress President Sonia Gandhi with party Vice President Rahul Gandhi at a press conference in New Delhi on Friday after the party suffered the most crushing defeat when the results of Lok Sabha elections were released.

The Congress, even after witnessing its worst-ever defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, on Saturday appeared in no mood to pin the responsibility of the electoral debacle on anyone, at least till the top brass meet on Monday.

 

Barring Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and a couple of Maharashtra ministers, no Congress leader offered to resign after the humiliating run at the hustings.

On Friday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi accepted responsibility for reducing the party to a mere 44 seats in the Lok Sabha. Reports indicated that the Gandhis would offer to resign from their posts during the meeting of the Congress Working Committee scheduled for Monday evening, but party leaders denied any such possibility.

“I don’t want to comment on any speculation. But hypothetically speaking, if something like this happens, we will reject it outright,” AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed told reporters here. Congress leaders have already started insulating the top leadership from any criticism. “How can Rahul be held responsible for the defeat? He had campaigned so hard,” a senior leader said, arguing that it was the second-rung leaders who failed to deliver results in the tasks they were allotted.

Another senior leader was critical of the role of Rahul’s advisors, particularly Jairam Ramesh, Mohan Gopal, Madhusudan Mistry, Mohan Prakash and Ajay Maken. He claimed that planning of the party’s Lok Sabha campaign was the job of those who did not contest in the elections. This was apparently said in reference to Ramesh and Gopal.

There were even indications of a revamp, over a span of two months. A section of Congress leaders believe the constant focus on minorities during the 10-year UPA rule was one of the major reasons for Hindus showing their consolidation to the BJP. The Muzaffarnagar riots in August-September last year fuelled this trend further.

Another reason for the defeat, Congress leaders said, was the inability of the government to weave in party policies into various state initiatives. A large section of party leaders also felt that the Congress ministers were an arrogant lot who paid little heed to fulfill the aspirations of the workers.

A senior leader found fault with the ticket distribution process and contended that demands of loyal party workers to be fielded as candidates were ignored to favour party-hoppers and technocrats.