Sonia summons newly-elected Cong MLAs

Lucknow, May 18 (UNI) Against a backdrop of Congress' worst-ever performance in assembly elections, AICC president Sonia Gandhi has summoned the newly-elected party MLAs to New Delhi.

The 22 MLAs would meet the AICC president tomorrow afternoon.

In the evening, the legislators would interact with Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi.

Today, 84 Congress candidates who had managed number two and number three position in the hustings met the AICC president.

''Those who met Ms Gandhi included candidates who could manage number four position but got over 20,000 votes,'' said a senior party functionary.

Since 1985, this was the party's worst performance in assembly elections. In the 2002 assembly polls, Congress had won 25 seats, but this time it could muster only 22. Party's vote share also fell from 8.90 per cent in 2002 to 8.48 per cent.

While Rahul's roadshows and public meetings during campaigning evoked a massive public response, the Congress machinery failed to encash the response.

AICC president and Rae Bareli MP Sonia Gandhi too pitched in by holding several rallies in support of Congress candidates.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also held five rallies in the state where he described Rahul as the next gen leader.

Rahul's younger sibling Priyanka Vadera also held roadshows in Rae Bareli and Amethi.

Congress had won 25 seats in the 2002 assembly elections. But in the same year, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) witnessed a split as eight of its MLAs formed Akhil Bharatiya Congress Dal (ABCD). The incident brought down the number of Congress MLAs to 17.

In the 2004 general elections, Congress' Aligarh and Ghaziabad MLAs graduated to Lok Sabha. In the ensuing by-elections to the two seats, the Congress failed to retain Aligarh and Ghaziabad.

The Congress' tally then stood at 15.

Later that year, one of its MLAs died in a freak accident, further bringing down its total in assembly to 14. But soon after it managed to win two bypolls, which helped it increase its strength to 16. Recently, one of its MLAs left the party and stood unattached in the assembly.

UNI