Congress shocked, Rahul team blamed for worst ever poll defeat

New Delhi: A shocked Congress is trying to come to terms with the enormity of its defeat, its worst since Independence. It failed to open its account in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttarakhand, and its Maharashtra losses are alarming. Assam CM Tarun Gogoi even offered to resign.

Insiders fear that the party may split, as voices are raised blaming Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul, and the “apolitical coterie” around him. Mr Gandhi’s advisers like Mohan Gopal, Jairam Ramesh and Sachin Rao are coming in for scathing criticism.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul made a brief appearance at the AICC office to accept responsibility and congratulate the new government, but didn’t take questions.

Mr Gandhi, who spoke first, acknowledged the BJP had got the people’s mandate. “I wish them all the best. As Congress vice-president, with all humility, I take responsibility.” Sonia Gandhi said, “The people’s mandate is against us. I humbly accept the verdict. As Congress president, I take responsibility for it.”

The shell shocked Congress is unable to decide who is responsible for its crushing defeat. Is it the party or the government, old guards or generation next, lackluster organisation or disconnected leaders or coalition compulsion. But the mandate has shown that over dependence on the charisma of Gandhi- Nehru family led to the fall of the Congress which has won the lowest number of seats in the Lok Sabha elections since 1952.

“This the lowest figure for the Grand Old Party since independence under the leadership of Soniaji and Rahulji. The Congress’ numbers had gone down in the 1967, 1977, 1989, 1998 and 1999 elections because of different factors that include imposing  Emergency, Bofors deal, agitations on Mandal and Kamandal issues, corruption. But this time it has created a record of sorts,” insiders said.

The Manmohan Singh government was disconnected with the Congress and the latter was disconnected with the people due to power in the last ten years. This has lead to the party’s humiliarting defeat, Congress insiders said.

BJP leader Narendra Modi had built up the election campaign on the theme of the Congress mukta Bharat (to make India free from Congress). He has also succeeded in discrediting the Gandhi-Nehru family. In fact, the people have rejected the dynasty.

The party has failed to open its account in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttarakhand. But its loss in Maharashtra, one of its  strongholds, is alarming. The party split Andhra Pradesh, another stronghold state, which has reduced it to a minor player in Telangana and washed out in Seemandhra. Its performance continued to be pathetic in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu,West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Barring the Assam CM Tarun Gogoi who has offered to resign owning moral responsibility of the defeat, no party CM has come forward so far.