Party candidate blames Manmohan, Goa Congress backs Gandhis

Panaji, May 21: A day after a losing Congress candidate blamed outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the party's rout in the Lok Sabha election, the state Congress unit Wednesday reinforced its faith in the Gandhi family.

A resolution passed by the state Congress committee states the presence and guidance of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi "is all the more necessary at this crucial juncture to strengthen the secular base of the nation, and pledges full support to both of them to strengthen the party at the grassroots level".

The resolution also "appreciates" the resignation offered by the duo to the Congress Working Committee, which was later rejected by the CWC.

Tuesday, former home minister and North Goa's losing candidate Ravi Naik blamed Manmohan Singh for the shocking defeat which has reduced the Congress tally in the Lok Sabha to 44.

"Manmohan Singh, our (outgoing) prime minister, should have gone to every state explaining to people about all the good things done by UPA government in the 10 years, like Right to Education, Right to Information," Naik told a press conference, spelling out the reasons for his loss as well as the party's national debacle.

IANS