CWC rejects Sonia, Rahul move to quit
PM too takes blame for ‘ shortcomings’ Party chief is authorised to revamp outfit ‘ at all levels’
The first meeting of the Congress Working Committee after the party’s total rout in the Lok Sabha elections went along expected lines on Monday. Party president Sonia Gandhi and vice- president Rahul Gandhi offered their resignations, which were promptly rejected outright by the Congress’ highest decision- making body. The CWC authorised Mrs Gandhi to revamp the organisation at all levels.
“I believe I have not been able to bring about the necessary changes to strengthen the party. Therefore, I take full responsibility for this crushing defeat and I am prepared to relinquish my position,” Mrs Gandhi said. Making his resignation offer, Mr Rahul Gandhi said the kind of accountability he thought was needed in the party was absent so he was beginning the accountability process by offering to relinquish his post as he could not fulfil party leaders’ expectations of him.
Rejecting the resignation offers as “no solution”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he, being the head of the government, also took responsibility for whatever shortcomings existed at the government level.
The meeting at AICC headquarters lasted over two and a half hours. It was presided over by Mrs Gandhi and attended by Dr Manmohan Singh and 38 members, including permanent and special invitees. Of them, 29 spoke at the meeting.
If insiders are to be believed, nobody questioned the authority of Mrs Gandhi and Mr Gandhi and his team, directly or indirectly, despite the crushing defeat. In fact, both emerged stronger after the CWC meeting, which appreciated their “untiring” efforts in the election on behalf of the Congress and its candidates.
Everything went as per script. The CWC members nominated by Mrs Gandhi have realised that the
grand old party cannot survive without the GandhiNehru family. “Accountability has been talked about. Wait for the reorganisation,” was the succinct answer from party general secretary in charge of organisation Janardan Dwivedi, who briefed the media after the CWC meet.
While Mrs Gandhi observed that the “aggressive and polarising campaign by the opponents, backed by unlimited resources and a hostile media”, went against the party this election, the CWC said “both the government and the party must share responsibility for the failure. Corrective measures must be taken at the level of the party and at the level of state governments formed by the Congress.” It authorised the Congress chief to take “whatever steps necessary in order to revamp the party organisation at all levels”.
The meeting began with opening remarks from Mrs Gandhi. Dr Singh and Mr Gandhi spoke after her. Sources said Dr Singh felt that price- rise and corruption were the issues that influenced the polls.
Mrs Gandhi said the UPA government, led by the Congress, was the first government since the 1960s to be elected to two successive terms. “It is but normal that after 10 years in office, any government will face anti- incumbency. I also believe that the message of the Congress was lost in the din and dust raised by an aggressive and polarising campaign by our opponents, which was backed by unlimited resources and a hostile media,” she observed. Asking party leaders to introspect, Mrs Gandhi said, “First and foremost, we should try and understand why our support base has eroded to this extent. Have we fully identified ourselves with the aspirations of our people? Are we in tune with the aspirations of the youth who today have access to education and information far greater than ever before? Have the benefits of growth really reached the people? Our society and people are evolving and changing rapidly. Is our party keeping pace with this change? Have we failed, both as government and party, to communicate our achievements? I have asked myself these questions,” she said.
The party’s communication strategy drew severe criticism at the meeting which saw some general secretaries also expressing readiness to quit to give the party leadership a free hand in reorganising party structure as per requirements, sources said.
The role of a “hostile media” also came in for scrutiny with most leaders feeling there was a slant in general reporting in favour of the BJP. The CWC saw members raising concern over “never- before polarisation on communal lines” in this election, which saw the BJP managing a record tally of 282 seats and Congress just 44. Some leaders also expressed concern at the way the RSS helped the BJP in the polarisation process. When Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi offered to resign, there was silence for a few minutes before it was broken by party leader Ajit Jogi, who disapproved of any such act. Those who spoke after Mr Jogi, including Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mr Anil Shastri and others, said the party needs the Gandhis all the more at a time when the BJP is a resurgent force with the full backing of the RSS. At the AICC briefing, Mr Dwivedi, ducked queries on whether Mr Gandhi’s advisers came under attack, saying, “I will not answer questions about any individual.” At the same time, he added cryptically, “When they have been authorised to bring changes, wait for the time.”
To questions on whether the offers to resign by the party president and vicepresident were only in name, Mr Dwivedi said they talked about quitting their posts but the CWC refused to listen. “It is obvious that there were shortcomings. It is also clear that we failed to read the profound changes that had taken place in the country,” the CWC resolution said.