Rahul Gandhi today addressed top Congress leaders at a post-mortem of a national election debacle which, many say, exposes an existential crisis for the grand old party. During the high-level meeting that went for over three hours, the Congress president kept insisting that he should resign as party president, but it was unanimously rejected, sources say. Congress leaders praised him and gave him authority to reorganise the party, they added. The top leadership of the Congress met to review the party's dismal showing in the national election. The party managed to win only 52 seats, way below the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance which won over 350 seats in the 542 Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls.
Mr Gandhi has taken "100 per cent responsibility" for the defeat. He had centred his election campaign around PM Modi, accusing him of corruption in the Rafale deal, unemployment and weak economy. He also ran "chowkidar chor hai" campaign against PM Modi. The meeting is being held a day after three state chiefs of the party sent their resignations to their boss who himself could not keep his traditional seat Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
The Congress Working Committee includes general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, her mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the chief ministers of all Congress-ruled states - Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Here are the Highlights on CWC meeting today:
Rahul Gandhi insists on stepping down as Congress president. Here's what we know pic.twitter.com/iNeOlxqzCN
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
"No one questioned Rahul's leadership. If anyone can play the role of opposition leader on a national scale then it is only Rahul Gandhi, which he has displayed": Ghulam Nabi Azad, Senior Congress leader pic.twitter.com/bYIUZOvjcg
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
"Congress Working Committee discussions remain inside the party": Randeep Surjewala, Congress spokesperson #CongressWorkingCommittee pic.twitter.com/Yo74NbbNYJ
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
- A loss is never dissected in detail at the first Working Committee meeting, it will happen in the coming days, there will be introspection
- Congress president Rahul Gandhi was thanked at the meeting for his extensive campaign across the country
- He (Rahul Gandhi) led the party well, leadership is not always clear on television
- He (Rahul Gandhi) effectively raised the shortcomings of the government, win-loss are part of democracy
- At the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said I am party president, I have an accountability for the loss and insisted that he step down
- But I have never such unanimity as I saw today in the Working Committee rejecting his (Rahul Gandhi's) offer to resign
- If anyone can lead the opposition, it is Rahul Gandhi; he has demonstrated this in the past few years
- Don't agree it (Congress' election outcome) was a disastrous performance, but it was not as per expectation
- Today we only had a general discussion, we will have detailed discussion on the results later
- Not true nothing happened (after 2014 results), some recommendations were adopted
"Rahul Gandhi had offered to resign but all the leaders rejected unanimously": Randeep Surjewala, Congress pic.twitter.com/b1z7SX20dx
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
#CongressWorkingCommittee commended the efforts of party president Rahul Gandhi, leaders and workers, says KC Venugopal
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
We need Rahul Gandhi as President, says Congress#CongressWorkingCommittee pic.twitter.com/41o2iYnoQQ
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
India faces a number of crises - from unemployment to farmers' issues, they need urgent attention, says Randeep Surjewala#CongressWorkingCommittee
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
#CongressWorkingCommittee authorised Rahul Gandhi to reorganise the party, face challenges ahead, says Randeep Surjewala
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
Randeep Surjewala, Congress: Party President Rahul Gandhi offered his resignation but it was rejected by the members of CWC unanimously. pic.twitter.com/aXLjPa72aj
- ANI (@ANI) 25 May 2019
Congress accepts the outcome of Lok Sabha Elections, will work as a constructive opposition, says Randeep Surjewala #CongressWorkingCommittee #ElectionsWithNDTV
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
Congress post-mortem meeting ends. Here's what we know about Rahul Gandhi's offer to quit pic.twitter.com/BdUXR71UiH
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan on Rahul Gandhi's offer to resign after election debacle: "Rahul Gandhi alone is not responsible for the loss. Every state chief should present their resignations to the party president"#CongressWorkingCommittee pic.twitter.com/orort49Sdc
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
"Not at all," says Ambika Soni, Senior Congress leader upon being asked if Rahul Gandhi's leadership is under question post-electoral debacle pic.twitter.com/hGc7h6LSnU
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 25, 2019
Watch | Stony-faced Congress leaders dodge questions about what went down at crisis meeting pic.twitter.com/0jkRmE6nza
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 25, 2019
Watch | Congress Working Committee meet concludes, Rahul Gandhi leaves Congress headquarters pic.twitter.com/eLo2Qmgmor
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 25, 2019
Lead story now on https://t.co/Fbzw6n8LeF:
- NDTV (@ndtv) 25 May 2019
Congress top leaders' meeting to dissect epic election fail, is underway https://t.co/w06hyaNbaq#NDTVLeadStory #CongressWorkingCommittee pic.twitter.com/rHwKfURxCA
"Wrong to think Congress can't survive without Gandhis' leadership. They said that about BJP and Vajpayee-Advani leadership too": Smita Prakash, Editor ANI pic.twitter.com/m7SQPJJmqk
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 25, 2019
Smita Prakash, Editor ANI, on Congress leader Randeep Surjewala denying Rahul Gandhi's offer to quit pic.twitter.com/TaoBTDJLf9
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 25, 2019
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath absent from Congress meeting: What we know right now pic.twitter.com/HZ3ax8Dz8e
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 25, 2019
Congress Working Committee meets at AICC Delhi to take stock of the Lok Sabha results and chart the course forward. pic.twitter.com/jGRwHJRw6H
- Congress (@INCIndia) May 25, 2019
Congress leaders discuss rout in Lok Sabha elections. What are the options before the party?
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 25, 2019
LIVE updates: https://t.co/EubfUfZVjl pic.twitter.com/2zU5i6cgZ0
What can we expect from Congress's crisis meeting today? NDTV's Sunil Prabhu and @amitoj report from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting pic.twitter.com/eBjwLTUhk1
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 25, 2019
In the so called Modiwave,several parties & leaders have lost badly. No one is asking their presidents to resign.Nor they offered to resign.
- Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) May 25, 2019
There is a conspiracy to malign our leader & a well designed plan to target him.
It must be stopped & party must stand by him fully.
C/2
Live: Congress's top decision-making body meeting begins, to discuss party's poor show in #Elections2019 https://t.co/7Q8A8i2plu
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 25, 2019
Delhi: More visuals from Congress Working Committee(CWC) meeting at party office pic.twitter.com/0yiA3eOx1i
- ANI (@ANI) 25 May 2019
Delhi: Visuals from Congress Working Committee(CWC) meeting at party office pic.twitter.com/Kjwy2F5FJP
- ANI (@ANI) 25 May 2019
Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrive for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting. pic.twitter.com/us3jj9QVLm
- ANI (@ANI) 25 May 2019
Former Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh arrives for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting. pic.twitter.com/avntrFMvIc
- ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2019
Delhi: Senior Congress leaders P. Chidambaram and Siddaramaiah arrive for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting. pic.twitter.com/cPbyGhzfQ4
- ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2019
Delhi: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrives for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting. pic.twitter.com/aJ5CbKKWSb
- ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2019
Delhi: Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh arrive for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting. pic.twitter.com/uNzSEVCY73
- ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2019
Delhi: Congress leaders RPN Singh, PL Punia and Motilal Vora arrive for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting. pic.twitter.com/2FeyRAVXtz
- ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2019
