Now accountability will have to be fixed… Kharge’s criticism after the defeat of Haryana and Maharashtra

Special Correspondent, New Delhi: In the first Congress Working Committee meeting held after the crushing defeat of the party and the alliance in Haryana and Maharashtra, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge bluntly said that now the time has come to fix accountability in the party. The party’s performance in both these states just a few months ago was quite satisfactory. Apart from Kharge, many senior leaders, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and newly elected Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi were also present in the meeting of the highest policy making body of the Congress held on Friday. However, Rahul and Priyanka left before the meeting ended.

‘Victory cannot be achieved through old style politics’

In the meeting, while Kharge enumerated various reasons for the party’s disappointing performance, he/she also raised the issue of EVMs. Kharge says that victory cannot be achieved through lack of discipline in the party and old style politics. Internal factionalism has become a permanent feeling within the Congress. Pointing out this, Kharge said that lack of mutual unity and statements against each other cause a lot of harm to us.

Kharge said- We have to unite

Kharge said that unless we fight the elections unitedly and stop making statements against each other, we will not be able to give political defeat to our opponents. We have to remain united in every situation. At the same time, while emphasizing on discipline, he/she indicated that the party people should maintain discipline at their own level. he/she said that although the party has the weapon of discipline, we do not want to put our comrades in any bondage.

‘The party is not able to capitalize on the environment in its favor’

Pointing to another major shortcoming of Congress, Kharge said that the party is not able to take advantage of the environment in its favor. he/she said that the atmosphere in the elections was in our favor. But mere favorable environment does not guarantee victory. We have to learn to transform the environment into results. he/she stressed on the need for hard work as well as timely strategy making and strength of the organization for victory.

‘The organization will have to be strengthened up to the booth level’

Kharge says that we have to strengthen our organization till the booth level. We have to be alert, alert and cautious day and night, from making the voter list to counting the votes. Our preparations from the beginning till the counting of votes should be such that our workers and systems work promptly. he/she also stressed upon the states to strengthen their organization and said that for how long will you fight the state elections with the help of national issues and national leaders?

‘Election preparations should be started a year in advance’

Congress National President Kharge told the state organizations that the recent election results also indicate that we should start our election preparations in the states at least a year in advance. Our team should be present in the field before time. At the same time, he/she talked about keeping an eye on the preparations of his/her opponent.

Will there be any change in the leaders?

Kharge’s mention of the reasons for the party’s defeat in the CWC meeting on Friday, following the party’s crushing defeat in two states after the Lok Sabha elections, was not the first time that the party had pointed out its shortcomings. Congress knows the problem, knows its diagnosis and treatment, but the will power required for this is not visible in the party leadership.

After the party’s continuous defeat in the assembly elections after the 2014 general elections, in 2016, the then Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh had expressed the need for major surgery in the party. It will be interesting to see whether this hint made by Kharge towards the shortcomings of the party will really bring any change within the party and the leaders, will the party be able to perform major surgery with the blade of discipline or will this also remain just a mere fulfillment?