Congress Leader Acknowledges Bihar Debacle, Says Will Meet Rahul

Akhilesh Prasad Singh took responsibility for the Congress’ defeat in the Bihar assembly elections.

File image of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

(Image: Twitter)

Akhilesh Prasad Singh, a top Congress leader, responsible for the party’s campaign in Bihar on Thursday, 19 November, took responsibility for the party’s loss in the Bihar’s election and said that he’s arranged an appointment with Rahul Gandhi to discuss the shortfalls in the organisation of the party.

In an interview with NDTV, Singh said "The Congress's choice of seats was wrong. There should have been deeper analysis before the decision but finally, the party acted in haste.”

“I accept responsibility for the Bihar election loss. I have asked to meet Rahul Gandhi. I will tell him that there is a need to tackle weaknesses in the organisation and make it sharper.” he added.

Recognising that the party is disorganised at the state and district level and needs to implement changes in order to win elections, he told NDTV that “there are weaknesses in the party, especially in the block and district level.”

WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING?

In the past week, Kapil Sibal, in an interview with The Indian Express did not shy away from expressing that the Bihar elections and bypolls elsewhere demonstrated that Congress was not seen as competent alternative by the people, and congress needed an inner dialogue with “people who understood the political realities of India.”

Responding to Sibal’s remarks, Singh said, “I respect Kapil Sibal. He is a knowledgeable politician. But it is not right to give such analysis about defeat after the results.”

Congress has been on the receiving end of the criticism from not only Kapil Sibal but also P Chidambaram, Vivek Tankha, and other leaders, after it only grabbed 19 of the 70 seats it contested in Bihar, and proved to be the weak link in its political alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and left parties.

(With inputs from NDTV)