Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge defended party president Sonia Gandhi amid heavy criticism following the abysmal outcome for the party in the recent Assembly elections in five states.
He further said that the grand old party will continue its fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideology.
When asked whether Sonia Gandhi would tender resignation from the Congress top post following defeat in elections, Kharge said, “We all told Sonia Gandhi that she alone is not responsible for the defeat in five states, every state leader and MP is responsible, not Gandhi family.”
“We reimposed our faith in her, there’s no question of offering resignation,” he said.
The Congress leader went on to add, “Strategies for strengthening the party were discussed… we will fight BJP and its ideology; push our ideology and hope that in the next elections, we do much better than before.”
Days after its drubbing in five states, the Congress’ top decision-making body on Sunday unanimously decided that party president Sonia Gandhi should continue till organisational polls after she expressed readiness to “make any and every sacrifice” in the party’s interest.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC), during its nearly five-hour meeting, reposed full faith in her leadership, urging her to effect immediate corrective changes to strengthen the party and meet the political challenges ahead of the next round of elections.
Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said every Congress worker and leader wants Rahul Gandhi to lead the party, but as the process of organisational polls is underway, the next president will be decided through it.
Amid calls for large-scale reforms to revive the party’s dwindling electoral fortunes, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, at a press conference after the CWC meeting, said the party president will immediately take corrective measures to revamp and re-strengthen the organisation.
