New Delhi:
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday got into a huddle with senior leaders to analyse the poll debacle which the party suffered in four out of the five states where Assembly elections were held.
The meeting was attended by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi where Congress general secretaries and in-charges of the all the states that went to polls submitted their election report to the party president.
Sources said that at the meeting, price rise and factionalism were identified as the main reasons behind the Congress's dismal performance.
The BJP's win in Chhattisgarh was attributed to the focus placed on the rallies of Narendra Modi after the first phase, said sources. Congress did very well in the first phase but the BJP, realising this, focussed on holding big rallies of Mr Modi, they added.
Congress leaders pointed out at the meeting that state units too should have done more rallies of the top leadership including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Instead, leaders like Raj Babbar were seen addressing rallies.
In Madhya Pradesh, sources said, Congress increased its votes share but could not cash in on the anti-incumbency factor. They said that Jyotiraditya Scindia was projected very late as the party's chief ministerial candidate and the party's central leadership spent a considerable time and effort in forging an alliance among different Congress camps led by leaders like Mr Scindia, Digvijaya Singh, Kamal Nath and Suresh Pachouri.
In Rajasthan, apart from anti-incumbency, party leaders felt that the Gehlot government focussed on welfare measures very late in their tenure. The party leaders acknowledged, sources said, that the state had a history of changing governments every five years and Mr Gehlot could not buck that trend.
In Delhi, apart from a fatigue of a 15-year-old regime, hike in electricity and water charges made Congress voters shift to the Aam Aadmi Party, Congress leaders pointed out at the meeting.
As promised yesterday, the Congress president carried out extensive review of the elections, but so far, no one has lost his or her job. The big question, however, is: will this brainstorming lead the Congress to undertake course correction that makes the party popular with the Indian voter once again?