The rebels, and a few fresh faces, met twice within 48 hours, last brainstorming session being held on Thursday evening.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi | File photo: PTI
New Delhi: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had a quiet meeting with senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Holi Friday to perhaps gauge the extent of the unhappiness simmering in the rebel camp.
The rebels, also known as G-23 – a group of 23 leaders who demanded organisational change last year – have met twice since the Congress’ humiliating rout in five states last week.
Though dissenters calmed nerves among loyalists that the meetings were held with the full knowledge of Sonia Gandhi, some of the pro-Gandhi camp were very angry with senior leader Kapil Sibal, who had openly attacked the Gandhis two days ago. Sibal said the Gandhis must voluntarily move away from the helm.
The rebels, and a few fresh faces, met twice within 48 hours, last brainstorming session being held on Thursday evening. Both meetings were at Ghulam Nabi Azad’s home.
After Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday sought the resignations of state party chiefs of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur following the party’s poor performance in the Assembly elections in five states, Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal submitted his resignation on Tuesday, taking the moral responsibility for Congress’ defeat in the polls.
Godiyal took to Twitter and said, “I have submitted my resignation taking the moral responsibility for the party’s defeat in the state assembly elections.”
Gandhi’s decision came two days after the CWC meet and is aimed at facilitating ‘reorganisation’ of the state units.
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi during the Congress Working Committee meeting in New Delhi, on 13 March 2022 | Photo: Manisha Mondal | ThePrint
New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi Tuesday asked the party’s state unit chiefs in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand to tender their resignations in order to enable reorganisation of the party.
Earlier in the day, the Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar had resigned from his post after claiming responsibility for the party’s loss.
The Congress lost the recently concluded assembly elections in all five states. In a major setback for the party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stormed to power in Punjab with a landslide 92 seats in the 117-member state assembly.
To ‘facilitate reorganisation’
“Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi has asked the PCC Presidents of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa & Manipur to put in their resignations in order to facilitate reorganisation of PCC,” said Randeep Surjewala, general secretary in-charge of communication for the party.
The party, however, is yet to take a decision on the senior leaders who were made in-charges for the poll-going states, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was the in-charge for Uttar Pradesh. Vadra Tuesday held an organisational meet with leaders of the UP Congress to introspect on the reasons for the party’s defeat in the state.
Ajay Lallu, president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, had finished third in the seat (Tamukhi Raj ) he was contesting from.
Navjot Singh Sidhu, who leads Congress’ Punjab unit, had lost his Amritsar East seat. Sidhu has also been blamed as one of the reasons for the party’s loss in Punjab. Factionalism within the party is another reason that is said to have hurt the Congress’ prospects in Punjab.
Four hours after a key meeting on Sunday, the Congress Working Committee “unanimously reaffirmed” faith in president Sonia Gandhi’s leadership, as well as called for large-scale reforms and corrective measures for an organisational revamp. The CWC asked Sonia Gandhi to address weaknesses and effect necessary changes, as per a statement released after the meeting that was held to address the party’s election debacle in five states.
President Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Rahul Gandhi at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Sunday. (Image: News18)
The top decision-making body of the Congress brainstormed over a way forward and will hold a ‘chinatan shivir’ immediately after the budget session of parliament and the CWC will meet again, said general secretary KC Venugopal.
“Every single member of the CWC wants Sonia Gandhi to guide party till organisational elections are held,” Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said.
The Congress lost Punjab to the Aam Aadmi Party, could not wrest Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur from the BJP and the party’s tally in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh fell to its lowest.
Former party chief Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Venugopal, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, party’s leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and P Chidambaram were among those who attended the meeting.
The CWC said the election results were a cause of “serious concern” for the party, and that it accepted shortcomings in its election strategy. The party also said it could not overcome the anti-incumbency in Punjab in the short time after effecting a change of leadership. Captain Amarinder Singh was removed from the post of chief minister ahead of the assembly elections and replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi.
Venugopal said, “Including senior leaders, members openly participated in the decision to analyse the results. It was a sincere and fruitful analysis.”
Surjewala said state incharges took responsibility for the drubbing received by the party, sources said.
