"Am Responsible For Congress's Defeat In Madhya Pradesh," Says Kamal Nath

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has said he had offered to resign from the post of state Congress president after the party's bad performance in the Lok Sabha election. His remarks came amid reports that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi expressed disappointment that none of the leaders holding top posts took responsibility for the party's poor show. Mr Gandhi himself has been insisting that he would step down.

Kamal Nath said he takes responsibility for the party's poor performance in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress won just one out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats.

"I take responsibility for the party's defeat in Lok Sabha elections in the state. Rahul Gandhi is right. I do not know who is responsible for the defeat but I had offered to quit the party post," Kamal Nath told reporters at an event in Bhopal on Thursday.

"I personally believe that I am responsible for the party's defeat. I do not know who else in responsible," he added.

A senior Congress leader said Kamal Nath did offer to resign as state party president after the Lok Sabha election results came. "He had said he takes moral responsibility for the party's defeat in the state," the Congress leader said.

Kamal Nath was made Madhya Pradesh Congress chief in April 2018. He took over as chief minister in December last year.

Kamal Nath had offered to resign from the post of state party chief after the Congress wrested power from the BJP after a gap of 15 years and he became chief minister.

However, he was asked by senior Congress leaders to continue in the post.