Election results: Congress leaders meet this morning to assess damage, Rahul may attend

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, March 7, 2012  :  At a meeting this morning, the Congress will try to figure out  what went so horribly wrong for it in the elections in five states, including the politically-crucial Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi, who had turned the revival of his party in UP into his personal mission, may attend the gathering of General Secretaries.   The Congress lost Punjab and Goa, has been re-elected in Manipur, and is trying to form the government in Uttarakhand.
 

Leaders will look at why Punjab defied 40 years of tradition to choose the party in power for a second consecutive term - the Akalis have made history there.  The Congress will also discuss the offer to resign from Digvijaya Singh, who was in charge of UP for the Congress.  Mr Singh met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and reportedly offered to quit as General Secretary.  When asked to confirm this, he told NDTV last night, "That’s between Mrs Gandhi and me."
 
Though Mr Singh has said he takes the blame for the party’s colossal failure in UP -it added just six seats to its earlier total of 22 - Mr Gandhi said last evening, "I fronted the campaign.  I take responsibility."  The party has fallen over itself to assert that Mr Gandhi did all he could, but was let down by poor organization , a factor that Mr Gandhi also referred to.  He said he will continue to work in UP and focus on improving the party’s structure. 
 
The added insult comes from Rae Bareli and Amethi - the constituencies of Mr Gandhi and his mother - where the Congress took just two of the 10 assembly seats at stake.  Priyanka Gandhi had campaigned extensively in this area and had promised her mother publicly that she would deliver all 10 seats. She was seen yesterday, wearing jeans and a shirt, hugging her brother after he met with the press. Mr Gandhi’s sincere assessment - he did not shy away from acknowledging that UP was clearly in the mood for the Samjawadi Party - was followed by a message of congratulations to Akhilesh Yadav, the 38-year-old who powered his father’s phenomenal return to power in UP.  The Samajwadi Party won 224 of the 403 seats in UP, the clearest and strongest verdict in the last two decades in the state. 

 

Courtesy : NDTV