<p>With the Congress staring at a drubbing in Uttar Pradesh, the grand old party today admitted that "the bad loss hurts" and said it needs to do "fundamental restructuring" in the state, calling for hard decisions.<br /><br />While the Congress said the "loss" in the Hindi heartland it once ruled will be assessed, it defended party leadership saying it should not be judged over a short span.<br /><br />The Congress also highlighted its performance in Punjab, where it is leading over SAD-BJP combine and AAP.<br /><br />"Yes, UP is a bad loss, it hurts...I agree that, in UP, we need fundamental restructuring thinking for the Congress as a whole. These have to be hard, tough decisions about strategy," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.<br /><br />Another Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad attributed the party's poor show in the politically crucial state to "public mood" and said its performance will be "scrutinised".<br /><br />He, however, stressed that Congress' gains in Punjab and likeliness of the party forming government in Goa, ruled by the BJP until before the elections, should not be ignored.<br /><br />"We are forming government in Punjab...In Goa, the BJP is not in position to form government. There is a possibility that we may form government there," the former Union Minister said.<br /><br />Early trends suggested the BJP is on its way to form government in Uttar Pradesh after a hiatus of 15 years.<br /><br />The Congress is leading in 73 of the 117 assembly segments in the state, according to the trends.</p>
<p>With the Congress staring at a drubbing in Uttar Pradesh, the grand old party today admitted that "the bad loss hurts" and said it needs to do "fundamental restructuring" in the state, calling for hard decisions.<br /><br />While the Congress said the "loss" in the Hindi heartland it once ruled will be assessed, it defended party leadership saying it should not be judged over a short span.<br /><br />The Congress also highlighted its performance in Punjab, where it is leading over SAD-BJP combine and AAP.<br /><br />"Yes, UP is a bad loss, it hurts...I agree that, in UP, we need fundamental restructuring thinking for the Congress as a whole. These have to be hard, tough decisions about strategy," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.<br /><br />Another Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad attributed the party's poor show in the politically crucial state to "public mood" and said its performance will be "scrutinised".<br /><br />He, however, stressed that Congress' gains in Punjab and likeliness of the party forming government in Goa, ruled by the BJP until before the elections, should not be ignored.<br /><br />"We are forming government in Punjab...In Goa, the BJP is not in position to form government. There is a possibility that we may form government there," the former Union Minister said.<br /><br />Early trends suggested the BJP is on its way to form government in Uttar Pradesh after a hiatus of 15 years.<br /><br />The Congress is leading in 73 of the 117 assembly segments in the state, according to the trends.</p>