<p class="title">Mumbai: The Congress' massive defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was a "collective responsibility" and not that of party chief Rahul Gandhi alone, Maharashtra state unit chief Ashok Chavan said Saturday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan added that there was no question of accepting Gandhi's resignation as party chief.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan himself lost from Nanded Lok Sabha seat to BJP's Pratap Chiklikar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The campaign was a collective responsibility. Rahul Gandhi worked hard and led from the front. All senior leaders in states who hold positions in the state units should quit so that a new team can take over. My colleagues and I are ready to resign due to the poor show of the Congress in Maharashtra," Chavan told reporters here.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress was reduced to just one seat in Maharashtra, with Suresh Dhanorkar winning from Chandrapur.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The state has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the highest after Uttar Pradesh's 80.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"There is no dissension in the party. Everyone was taken into confidence while taking decisions regarding the elections. We will act against those responsible for anti-party activities. A report has been sought," Chavan added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan admitted that the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Agadhi (VBA), which has the AIMIM as a constituent, had cost the Congress-NCP alliance "nine to ten seats".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan called the VBA the "B team of the BJP".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan lost in Nanded by 40,000 votes and the VBA candidate there managed to poll around one lakh votes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan expressed confidence that Assembly polls, scheduled in the state later this year, would be a different story and the Congress would do well.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The party's highest decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee, meanwhile met in Delhi Saturday to review the party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The CWC meeting, chaired by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, is being attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Uttar Pradesh (East) in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and chief ministers of four party-ruled states -- Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and of the Union Territory Puducherry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There were speculations that Congress president might offer his resignation taking moral responsibility for the party's poor performance in the polls. </p>
<p class="title">Mumbai: The Congress' massive defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was a "collective responsibility" and not that of party chief Rahul Gandhi alone, Maharashtra state unit chief Ashok Chavan said Saturday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan added that there was no question of accepting Gandhi's resignation as party chief.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan himself lost from Nanded Lok Sabha seat to BJP's Pratap Chiklikar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The campaign was a collective responsibility. Rahul Gandhi worked hard and led from the front. All senior leaders in states who hold positions in the state units should quit so that a new team can take over. My colleagues and I are ready to resign due to the poor show of the Congress in Maharashtra," Chavan told reporters here.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress was reduced to just one seat in Maharashtra, with Suresh Dhanorkar winning from Chandrapur.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The state has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the highest after Uttar Pradesh's 80.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"There is no dissension in the party. Everyone was taken into confidence while taking decisions regarding the elections. We will act against those responsible for anti-party activities. A report has been sought," Chavan added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan admitted that the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Agadhi (VBA), which has the AIMIM as a constituent, had cost the Congress-NCP alliance "nine to ten seats".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan called the VBA the "B team of the BJP".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan lost in Nanded by 40,000 votes and the VBA candidate there managed to poll around one lakh votes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chavan expressed confidence that Assembly polls, scheduled in the state later this year, would be a different story and the Congress would do well.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The party's highest decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee, meanwhile met in Delhi Saturday to review the party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The CWC meeting, chaired by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, is being attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Uttar Pradesh (East) in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and chief ministers of four party-ruled states -- Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and of the Union Territory Puducherry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There were speculations that Congress president might offer his resignation taking moral responsibility for the party's poor performance in the polls. </p>