Congress president Sonia Gandhi in her first reaction after party’s poll debacle said on Wednesday that too many leaders in UP is a problem for the party. In the last lag of the poll, many reckless statements were made by Congress leaders including PL Punia, Salman Khurshid, Sriprakash Jaiswal and Beni Prasad Verma.
All these statements had severely dented party’s poll prospects in the state as well as brought strong reaction from the Election Commission. Union coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal had even said that the president’s rule could be imposed if Congress wouldn’t able to form the government.
“We have too many leaders, that is our problem,” said the Congress president.
Addressing the media, Gandhi said that every election result is a lesson for them, whether they win or lose. Gandhi acknowledged that inflation could have been factor for Congress’ poor performance.
She also said that one of the reasons for the party’s bad showing was the wrong choice of candidates. “The party’s organisational structure in Uttar Pradesh was weak,” the Congress president said.
Sonia ends speculation over change in PM post
Congress president Sonia Gandhi indicated that the UPA government is secure and that there will be no change of Prime Minister till 2014.
“The question does not arise,” said Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday, also refusing to answer who the Congress’ candidate for PM will be in the next general elections. “We are in 2012 and 2014 is a long way off,” she said.
Gandhi further said that she does not think that the results of the Assembly elections will damage the UPA government.
Being hopeful Gandhi said that Assembly polls to Gujarat, Karnataka and Himachal are coming and the party has to to get going. She said that newly formed PPP damaged Congress party’s prospect in Punjab.
“The people of Uttar Pradesh were fed up with the Mayawati government in UP,” the Congress party chief said.
“In Goa, many voters were unhappy with the Congress government,” Sonia Gandhi added.
–PTI