Post-poll rumblings: AICC Bihar in-charge, BPCC chief offer to resign
The Congress managed to win just 19 out of 70 it had contested under the Grand Alliance in the assembly polls, held in October-November this year
All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil and Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) chief Madan Mohan Jha have offered to resign from their respective posts in the wake of poor electoral performance of the party in recently held state assembly polls.
However, both the leaders refused to comment on the development, saying that it was an internal issue of the party. “Currently, I am admitted in the hospital. It will not be appropriate to share an internal matter of the party,” said Gohil in response to an SMS. Jha also declined commenting.
The Congress managed to win just 19 out of 70 it had contested under the Grand Alliance (GA) in the assembly polls, held in October-November this year. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left parties, which are part of the GA, wrested 75 and 16 seats respectively and were left short of 13 seats from simple majority. In 2015 assembly polls, Congress had fared better and had won 27 seats out of 41 it had contested.
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Chairman of the BPCC election campaign committee Akhilesh Prasad Singh, who did not find any reason to resign from his post, said he was not part of any of the decision-making of the AICC. “Let the Congress president discuss the causes of defeat and fix accountability. I am ready to do anything if I am held guilty,” said Singh, adding that he was not like those who step back in the face of challenge.
Singh, also a Rajya Sabha member, said that he had sought an appointment with Rahul Gandhi to explain the reasons for defeat in detail. “Reviews shall be done... from identification of seats to contest to the selection of candidates to be fielded and management of campaign,” he added, apparently putting the blame on the AICC leaders involved in the process.
Serious blame-game erupted in the party following the crushing defeat of its candidates in the fray. Even the RJD leaders blamed the Congress’ abysmal show in the election, which denied the GA a shot at running the state.
Party insiders also felt that continued ad-hocism in the Congress from the state unit to the block-level had impacted the workers’ morale. They said the party had erred in identifying potentially winning seats and strong candidates to bet on during the polls.
