In HP, Rahul takes stock
REVIEW Congress president holds meeting with workers, receives their feedback
SHIMLA: Congress president Rahul Gandhi arrived in Shimla on Friday to get feedback from candidates and workers on the party’s loss in the just-concluded assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh where it was in power for the last five years.
Rahul, who was on his maiden visit to the state after becoming Congress president, was accompanied by party leaders, Sushil Kumar Shinde and Ranjeet Ranjan, who had a few days back met the state leaders to assess the loss, and submitted a report.
Congress had managed to get just 21 seats as BJP romped home with 44 in the 68-member assembly, elections for which were held on November 9 and results for which were announced on December 18. Rahul had planned two sessions — one with candidates and other with office-bearers — to review the loss and get feedback. The first session commenced at 12.30pm. Former CM Virbhadra Singh and party president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu were present at the meeting at Rajiv Bhawan in the city.
Most of the losing candidates had cited infighting, “sabotage” by local leaders, and a lack of resources for their defeat. They had earlier asked Shinde to act against local and top-rung leaders who allegedly worked against the party’s interests.
Some presented audio and video clippings as proof of certain Congressmen “sabotaging” the party’s prospects whereas others reportedly accused Virbhadra of promoting local leaders who had their own interests in mind. This is the first time Congress is holding a post-poll review in HP. Rahul had held a similar review in Gujarat, where the party failed to regain power.
OBSERVERS APPOINTED
The Congress president on Friday also appointed All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries Ashok Gehlot and Sushil Kumar Shinde as observers for the first Congress legislature party meetings in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh with a view to select the Congress Legislative Party leaders. SHIMLA: