New Delhi:
The Congress' disastrous performance in what was being called a mini-general election and loud speculation about how yesterday's election results will make the Congress more vulnerable in coalition equations at the Centre, prompted a rare appearance by Sonia Gandhi today to explain her party's poor show.
Mrs Gandhi first held a series of meetings with party leaders and then, armed with answers, fielded a range of questions. The Congress president has unequivocally stated that there shall be no change of Prime Minister till the 2014 General Elections. She is also emphatic that the Congress-led UPA is strong and secure and is very able to push policy and legislation through discussion with its allies and the Opposition.
These were Sonia Gandhi's reasons for what went so horribly wrong for the Congress in the assembly elections:
- A weak party organisation in Uttar Pradesh
- Wrong choice of candidates in UP
- Many rebel candidates as a result of wrong candidates being chosen
- On the party getting only 2 of 10 seats in the Gandhi bastion of Amethi-Rae Bareli, she said, "People were not happy with the sitting MLAs... the new candidates won."
- In UP, she said, the people were unhappy with the BSP and the alternative for them was the SP.
- The Congress, she said, has a problem of too many leaders
- In Punjab, Mrs Gandhi said, Akali rebel Manpreet Singh Badal's new Punjab People's Party damaged the Congress in 23 seats, rather than damaging the Akali Dal as had been expected.
- In Goa, Mrs Gandhi said, the people were obviously unhappy with the ruling Congress' performance and so did not vote for it.
- Mrs Gandhi said price rise could have been a reason for the Congress not doing well in the elections