News Analysis India

Tag: UP poll results

  • Poll debacle: Sonia Gandhi asks PCC chiefs of five states to resign 

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Heads have started to roll after the poll Debacle in five states as Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has asked state party presidents to put in their papers. The party suffered massive defeats in five states which went to polls in February and March.

    Randeep Surjewala, General Secretary of the party said, “Congress President, 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 PCCs.”

    Those who have been asked to resign include Navjot Sidhu (Punjab), Ganesh Godiyal (Uttarakhand), Nameirakpam Loken Singh (Manipur), Ajay Kumar Lallu (UP) and Girish Chodankar (Goa).

    The decision comes two days after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet, which authorised Sonia Gandhi to undertake “necessary and comprehensive” organisational changes.

    “The CWC unanimously reaffirms its faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi 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,” the CWC resolution had said.

    The CWC statement said that the recent Assembly election results of five states are a cause of serious concern for the Indian National Congress. 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 a short time after effecting a change of leadership.

  • ‘Priyanka Gandhi should stay put in UP despite worst ever poll performance’ 

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: With just two seats and a 2 per cent vote share, the Congress fell to its lowest ever tally in Uttar Pradesh under Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as general secretary in charge of the state. Her high voltage campaign and decision to give 40 per cent tickets to women candidates, failed to make a mark but party leaders say she should continue focusing on the state and stay put in order to revive the party.        

    Priyanka addressed over 160 rallies and over 40 roadshows in UP but she started focusing on the state towards the fag end of elections. A senior party leader said that if she would have started touring and focusing on UP a year and a half back, things would have been a little different.

    She should keep focusing on UP and continue her connection with people and that will help the party in 2024,  noted a Congress Rajya Sabha member.

    ALSO READ | Congress campaign focussed on women, youth couldn’t arrest its slide in UP

    “It is very disheartening that we have come to 2 per cent vote share in a state we ruled for several years but Priyanka should continue her work on the ground and focus on the state. She should make Lucknow as her base and stay here rather than making episodic visits ahead of elections,” said a senior UP Congress leader.

    There was no denial that the party and Priyanka herself knew the party’s fate in assembly elections and kept speaking that irrespective of results, she will stay put in the state. “We have just started the fight and we have to keep going with energy and strength,” she told party workers, a day before the results.

    Like brother Rahul Gandhi, many leaders questioned her choice of her core team which made many senior UP leaders feel insulted and uncomfortable. Besides several senior leaders, Priyanka’s close aide Lalithesh Tripathi, RPN Singh, Jitender Prasada, and Anu Tandon left the party in the run-up to the assembly elections.

    Her personal secretary Sandeep Singh and UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lalu have been blamed for giving her ground feedback that was far from true.

    “She needs to get a good team who have knowledge about the UP and understand the state. It is a tough task to revive the Congress as the party base has completely eroded and the election trends show that our loyal voters have also shifted this time,” said a former union minister.