Unless we face reality, we will not learn: Congress leaders at CWC

New Delhi, May 11: Poor local leadership and factionalism are some of the reasons listed by the Congress members for its poor showing in the elections. The Congress Working Committee meeting was held to take stock of the party's performance in the recent assembly polls.

During the meeting the party members said that unless they face up to the reality, they will not learn the right lessons.

The Congress also put off the election of a new party president, citing COVID-19.

The election body of the party had recommended that the polls can take place on June 23. The Congress' central commission suggested June 7 as the deadline for the nominations. However the Congress Working Committee decided that election needs to be put off due to the pandemic.

Taking into account the party's loss in Assam, in-charge of the state, Jitendra Singh said that the party did not have enough time to prepare and optimise its alliances with the AIUDF. He said that in upper Assam, the party fared badly as the BJP backed two local parties as a result of which the votes of the Congress were cut off. Senior leader, Digvijaya Singh said that the party would have done better had it not partnered with the AIUDF.

Jitin Prasada in-charge of West Bengal said that the Congress was impacted by the pandemic and could not do well in the last two phases. He also said that the TMC managed to build up momentum in the first 6 phases.

Dinesh Gundu Rao, in-charge of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry congratulated Rahul Gandhi for teaming up with the DMK. He however blamed former CM Narayanswamy for not fighting the elections and many of his loyalists shifted to the BJP.

In Kerala, infighting was the reason cited for the party's loss.

Sonia Gandhi said that there is a need to put the house in order.

"We have to take note of our serious setbacks. To say that we are deeply disappointed is to make an understatement. I intend to set up a small group to look at every aspect that caused such reverses and report back very quickly," Sonia Gandhi said at the Congress Working Committee meeting.