After suffering a rout in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday admitted that organisational changes were required in the party but refused to spell out by when they would take place.
Rahul’s remarks came on a day when party leaders have been critical of the Congress’s approach of “fact-checking” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and doing little to revive the organisation for nearly three years after its decimation in the Lok Sabha polls of 2014.
Rahul, who led the Congress campaign in Uttar Pradesh and devised the strategy along with sister Priyanka Vadra, described the party winning 7 out of the 110 seats it contested as a “little down”.
“There are ups and downs in politics, we had a little down in UP, which is fine, we accept it,” he told reporters outside Parliament.
Rahul also faulted the BJP for running a “polarising campaign” in Uttar Pradesh.
“Why they won it... there are multiple reasons. Large part of it is polarisation. But the fact is that they won the election. However, they did it, they won the election,” he said congratulating the BJP for the victories in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Knives were out for AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh for his “failure” to win support of smaller parties, who had criticised the BJP during the elections, to shore up the Congress numbers.
Despite emerging as the single largest party, the Congress may have to sit in opposition as the BJP managed to win over its critics and instal Manohar Parrikar as the chief minister. Parrikar has to prove his majority on Thursday as per the direction of the Supreme Court.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks