Lead us from front, Congress leaders tell Sonia despite assembly polls disaster

Decision on Rahul Gandhi taking over party to be taken after organisational polls

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R  The Congress Working Committee, which met on Sunday, to discuss the party's disastrous performance in the recently-concluded assembly elections, unanimously reaffirmed its faith in the leadership of party president Sonia Gandhi, urging her to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses and effect necessary and comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges.

The Congress' highest decision making body also decided that immediately after the Budget Session of Parliament, a Chintan Shivir or a brainstorming session will be held to discuss the party's strategy for the assembly elections in 2022 and 2023 as also the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

The meeting, held three days after the results of the state polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur were announced, with the Congress failing to emerge victorious in any of the states, saw the participation of close to 60 members of the committee. According to sources, at the very outset, Sonia, who chaired the meeting, asked the panel members to be free and frank in presenting their views.

Sonia is learnt to have said in her opening remarks that it was being said that the Gandhis are responsible for the electoral defeats. She is understood to have said she and her family were ready to make any kind of sacrifice for the sake of the party. The statement comes in the backdrop of questions being raised about the efficacy of the leadership of the Gandhis.

The AICC in-charges of the states which went to polls as also the senior observers deputed to oversee the poll preparations in those states made presentations on the party's electoral performance. They gave detailed reasons on what were the pluses and minuses for the party in those states and offered their reasoning for what according to them went wrong, where the party needs to be strengthened and the course correction needed.

According to a statement issued by the Congress at the end of the meeting, the recent assembly election results of five states are a cause of serious concern for the party.

“The party accepts that due to shortcomings in our strategy, we could not effectively expose the misrule of BJP state governments in four states and overcome the anti-incumbency in the state of Punjab in the short time after effecting a change of leadership,” the statement read.

It said the Congress represents the hopes of millions of Indians against political authoritarianism prevailing in the country today and the party is fully conscious of its immense responsibility.

Significantly, amidst the discussion about the efficacy of the leadership provided by the Gandhis, as per the statement, the CWC unanimously reaffirms its faith in the leadership of Sonia and “requests the Congress president to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses, effect necessary and comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges.”

“One thing that was common in what the leaders said without any comma or full stop was that every member expressed faith in Sonia Gandhi and asked her to guide the party till the organisational elections are completed,” said AICC Communications Department head Randeep Surjewala.

In the backdrop of speculation with regard to former party chief Rahul Gandhi making a comeback at the helm, Surjewala said the process of orgniastional elections has begun and the date for electing the new president is August 20. “Every worker and leader wants that Rahul Gandhi should come forth and lead the party. However, it will be decided by the organisational elections,” he said.

The CWC will meet once again in the run up to the Chintan Shivir to decide the agenda for the brainstorming session.

The party is now in power on its own only in two states – Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. These two states go to polls in 2023, placing immense pressure on the incumbents Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, respectively, to retain the states. Also, in the backdrop of the debilitating defeat in the recent state elections, there is great concern over the party's preparation for the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh due later this year.