NEW DELHI:
Congress
leader
Rahul Gandhi
on Thursday lashed out at the party's regional satraps for not allowing new entrants who can bring strength and new ideas. Speaking at the meeting of the
Congress Working Committee
, he lamented that the party lost the three northern states because of the refusal of state units to ally with minor parties.
Rahul reportedly said Congress did well to retain its vote share in
MP
, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, but BJP's vote share shot up by weaning away other votes. He asked why Congress could not win over "others."
Sources said he cited Telangana's example, where Congress won, to argue that the party covered 20% vote share in one year and came up on top from the third position.
A participant quoted him as saying that state leaders are closed to the idea of "intrusion" by new people.
The CWC witnessed party leaders, including chief
Mallikarjun Kharge
, slam election-time MP unit chief Kamal Nath for his obstinate refusal to join hands with Samajwadi Party. Kharge apparently said AICC had urged Nath to tie up with SP by giving it 4-5 seats, and one seat to JD(U). Barbs were also thrown at the Rajasthan unit for not tying up with CPM and the two parties in tribal areas, and at Chhattisgarh Congress for staying away from minor outfits.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
also said that the party should move beyond a negative campaign to positive programmatic action.
Meanwhile, after requests from the CWC, Rahul is set to undertake the second Bharat Jodo Yatra to cover the East-to-West route.
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