Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said today the outcome of Haryana and Maharashtra elections indicates that his party's slide in the country has stopped and it can now look forward to reversing the tide.
The party has now come out of a bad period of confusion and self-doubt, the former Union Minister said, referring to the party's poor show in the Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi quitting as the party President and some leaders deserting in a few states.
Terming the election results in the two states as "encouraging", he said the party workers are very pleased.
In Haryana, the Congress doubled its 2014 tally, and in Maharashtra, the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance improved its tally considerably.
"It (the election results) gives them (Congress workers) a second breath and I think it's a remainder to all of us in the Congress that there is a lot of life in us and what we need to do now is to get back on our feet and fight with faith and conviction," Mr Khurshid said.
"I think it's a clear indication that there is no further slide and we can start reversing the tide," he said, adding that the Congress now needs clarity of purpose.
Mr Khurshid said the Congress has an outstanding manifesto but in public performances there needs to be clarity of purpose.
He added that departing from manifesto and taking contradictory positions are some things that need to be avoided.
"We need a clarity of unity and purpose and I hope that we will be able to show that," Mr Khurshid said.
Asked if the Congress would have put up a much better show had it made more efforts before the elections in the two states, he said that is always the case.
"We were coming out of a very bad period, we had obviously lot of confusion, self-doubt etc. I think all that haze has cleared and we can see the path clear again," he said.
On some reports, before the elections in Haryana and Maharashtra it was suggested that the verdict is going to be one-sided with BJP projected to win and the Congress not putting up a fight, Mr Khurshid said it was a perception created by a section of media and there was no lack of conviction in his party.
Case Against Salman Khurshid, His Niece Over "Vote Jihad" Remark Row Salman Khurshid's Wife, 2 Others Laundered Government Funds: Probe Agency Congress' Salman Khurshid's Post After Farrukhabad Seat Goes To Samajwadi Party Student Dies, 2 Others Trapped In Delhi Coaching Centre's Flooded Basement At Olympics Opening Ceremony, Drag Parody Of 'The Last Supper' Draws Flak US Scientists Play God: New Element Created In A Lab Experiment DSSSB Exam Schedule 2024 Released For Recruitment To Various Posts AAP's Atishi Calls For Meeting After Delhiites Complain Of Blue Tap Water Woman Gym Trainer, 21, Killed Inside Delhi Flat Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.