Taking total responsibility for the Lok Sabha poll debacle, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday offered to resign as Congress president, which the Congress Working Committee (CWC) unanimously rejected and authorised him to overhaul and restructure the party at all levels.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi blamed veteran party members for pushing to choose their sons for tickets when Jyotiraditya Scindia pointed out that the local leaders should be groomed.
Congress was most humiliated when the people rejected father-son pairs.
Gandhi emphasized that states in which Congress performed well in the Assembly elections-- Rajashthan and Madhya Pradesh-- did poorly in the General elections, adding that Ashok Gehlot and Kamal Nath insisted on giving tickets to their sons even when he dissented.
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Congress president also mentioned P Chidambaram on the same line.
Besides, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik, who contested from two assembly segments in Odisha - Ghasipura in Kenjhar district and Bhandaripokhari in Bhadrak district lost the polls from both the places, while his son Navajyoti Patnaik was relegated to the third position in Balasore Lok Sabha seat.
Another senior Congress leader Aanta Prasad Sethi and his daughter Madumita Sethi also lost polls.
The CWC resolution said it fully recognises challenges, failures and shortcomings, resulting in this mandate, and recommended a thorough introspection. "The CWC requested the Congress chief for a complete overhaul and a detailed restructuring at every level of the party. A plan to this effect shall come into force at the earliest."
