A day after the Congress was routed in Haryana, senior leader from the State and former Union Minister Kumari Selja trained her guns on outgoing Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for the party’s dismal showing.
“I wish the Congress leadership had heard our views. Mr. Hooda is the major factor why we lost in this manner. It was a one-man show. He did not care about anyone at all,” Ms. Selja told reporters. The Congress, however, sought to play down her outburst with party spokesman Randeep Surjewala saying that it was too early to pin responsibility.
“Ms. Selja is a senior leader and the party respects her views. I am sure her views will be considered and all leaders will have a chance to speak their mind,” Mr. Surjewala said. Asked about the resentment brewing among party workers over the leadership — or lack of it — of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the spokesman said no one person can be blamed for this. “All workers are one in seeing the future of the Congress in Sonia Gandhi and Mr. Rahul Gandhi. Do not forget that we were down to four States in 1998. Five years later, we were back in most States. Victory and defeat is part and parcel of a democracy.”
As to whether there would be an organisational restructuring after this round of defeats, Mr. Surjewala pointed out that the Congress Working Committee authorised Ms. Gandhi to make the necessary changes at an appropriate time.
Meanwhile, most of the general secretaries on Monday attended a meeting called by the party’s Central Election Authority (CEA) chairman Mullapally Ramachandran to discuss efforts being made to carry out a membership drive that has to be wrapped up by December-end.
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