CONG MUST REINVENT

Voicing concern over the Congress debacle in the Delhi Assembly polls and the crisis it is facing in some states like Bihar and the Uttar Pradesh, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has suggested that the party "ruthlessly" reinvent itself or face the prospect of becoming irrelevant.

Senior leader Veerappa Moily has also called for a "surgical" action to revive the party in the context of the election drubbing.

"Congress leaders have to reinvent themselves. The party has to reinvent itself if it has to remain relevant. Otherwise, we are staring at irrelevance. Our arrogance has to go, even after six years out of power sometimes, some of us behave as if we are still ministers," he said.

Asked about the leadership issue in the party, Ramesh said local level leaders have to be encouraged and nurtured, adding that they have to be given freedom and autonomy.

"The substance and style of our leadership has to change. We are virtually non-existent in Bihar, we are almost extinct in UP but we are strong in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In Haryana, we have come back," Ramesh said.

Ramesh claimed the Delhi election result was a rejection of Amit Shah, who was the chief campaigner of the BJP.

"It is a resounding slap on his face and it is a rejection of the language used in the campaign, tactics used in the campaign," he said.

Responding to a query on the presence of an increasing number of leaders from Kerala in the central leadership, he hailed the style of functioning of the Congress and its leaders in the southern state but said that "we cannot become a Kerala-centric party."