New Delhi: Delhi Mahila Congress President Sharmistha Mukherjee lashed out at senior leader P. Chidambaram on Twitter after the latter congratulated the Aam Aadmi Party for its decisive win in Delhi Tuesday even as the Congress failed to win a single seat.
Chidambaram tweeted that the election results proved that “bluff and bluster” had lost, and he also saluted the people of Delhi for “defeating the divisive, dangerous and polarising agenda of the BJP”.
AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP
I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 11, 2020
His tweet did not seem to go down well with Mukherjee, who is also the party’s national spokesperson. She replied to his tweet and asked Chidambaram if the Congress had “outsourced the task of defeating BJP to state parties”.
She added that if that was the case, the Pradesh Congress Committee, the party’s state units, “might as well close shop”.
With due respect sir, just want to know- has @INCIndia outsourced the task of defeating BJP to state parties? If not, then why r we gloating over AAP victory rather than being concerned abt our drubbing? And if ‘yes’, then we (PCCs) might as well close shop! https://t.co/Zw3KJIfsRx
— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) February 11, 2020
Mukherjee is the former communications head of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, she stepped down from the post in 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi… 5 reasons Congress sank in Delhi
Congress drubbing
Repeating its performance in the 2015 Delhi election, the Congress failed to win even a single seat in the recently concluded assembly election in Delhi. Its vote share, as of 12 noon Tuesday, was just over 4 per cent as opposed to the Aam Aadmi Party’s 53 per cent and BJP’s 39 per cent.
Aside from not winning a single seat in the national capital, 95 per cent of the party’s candidates, including senior party leaders Arvinder Lovely, Alka Lamba, Haroon Yusuf and Radhika Khera, also lost their security deposit in the election.
The party’s lacklustre performance in the state invited much advice from Congress leaders saying that it was time for action and not just introspection.
In another tweet, Mukherjee acknowledged responsibility for the defeat since she was also “part of the system”. “Inordinate delay in decision making at the top, lack of strategy & unity at state level, demotivated workers, no grassroots connect” were all factors which contributed to the defeat of the party in Delhi, she stated.
We r again decimated in Delhi.Enuf of introspection, time 4 action now. Inordinate delay in decision making at the top, lack of strategy & unity at state level, demotivated workers, no grassroots connect-all r factors.Being part of d system, I too take my share of responsibility
— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) February 11, 2020
Others speak out
Mukherjee was not the only one to speak out against the Congress’ dismal performance in the election.
National spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill also commented on the Congress defeat and highlighted that the party should not justify its defeat.
3 Things Congress should NOT do today:
1. Justify own defeat
2. Find happiness in BJP defeat
3. Tell themselves that in Election wins & losses are cyclic
Congratulations to @AamAadmiParty for a well deserved victory & running a focussed campaign.
— Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) February 11, 2020
Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that it was time for the party to look for an alternative to Shiela Dikhit.
Ask my friends, tv channels today, In court, In parliament. I had said bjp wl b near 15. Looks like that. #delhielections #AAP latter have done reasonably good work in edu, Health & sahayaks. #INC has 2search 4 an alternative shiela face& back him/ her for4 years starting now.
— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) February 11, 2020
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