Sonia Gandhi asks Congress chiefs in 5 states to resign after poll drubbing

Gandhi's decision came two days after the CWC meet and is aimed at facilitating 'reorganisation' of the state units.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi during the Congress Working Committee meeting in New Delhi, on 13 March 2022 | Photo: Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi Tuesday asked the party’s state unit chiefs in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand to tender their resignations in order to enable reorganisation of the party.

Earlier in the day, the Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar had resigned from his post after claiming responsibility for the party’s loss.

The Congress lost the recently concluded assembly elections in all five states. In a major setback for the party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stormed to power in Punjab with a landslide 92 seats in the 117-member state assembly.

To ‘facilitate reorganisation’

“Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi has asked the PCC Presidents of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa & Manipur to put in their resignations in order to facilitate reorganisation of PCC,” said Randeep Surjewala, general secretary in-charge of communication for the party.

The party, however, is yet to take a decision on the senior leaders who were made in-charges for the poll-going states, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was the in-charge for Uttar Pradesh. Vadra Tuesday held an organisational meet with leaders of the UP Congress to introspect on the reasons for the party’s defeat in the state.

Ajay Lallu, president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, had finished third in the seat (Tamukhi Raj ) he was contesting from.

Navjot Singh Sidhu, who leads Congress’ Punjab unit, had lost his Amritsar East seat. Sidhu has also been blamed as one of the reasons for the party’s loss in Punjab. Factionalism within the party is another reason that is said to have hurt the Congress’ prospects in Punjab.

The faction-ridden Uttarakhand Congress is headed by Ganesh Godiyal, while Nameirakpam Loken Singh heads the party in Manipur.

On Sunday, the Congress held a four-hour long meeting of its Working Committee (CWC), the party’s top decision-making body, to reflect on the recent poll results.

The CWC took responsibility for the defeat and said Gandhi will continue as its interim chief. The body noted that Gandhi will lead the party “from the front” till elections for party president are held in August-September.

Congress will also hold a ‘chintan shivir’ (brainstorming session) session after the Budget session of the Parliament.