New Delhi: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday cracked the whip and summoned senior Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan leaders for an assembly poll loss review on Dec 8 and 9 respectively. Post the review in two states, Kharge will summon Chhattisgarh leaders and will decide on new state unit chiefs and CLP leaders in the three Hindi-speaking states. The Congress was betting on a win in all three states ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls but the results shocked the high command.
“The party president summoned the MP leaders on Dec 8 and Rajasthan leaders on Dec 9. A thorough review of the poll loss and the roadmap ahead will be discussed. A booth-level review in the three states has already begun and will be shared with the party chief instead of the various theories being flayed. There is a strong demand from the ground for revamp of the state teams,” a senior AICC functionary said.
According to party insiders, the Rajasthan review meeting will be attended by AICC general secretary in charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, his three deputies Qazi Nizamuddin, Virendra Rathore and Amrita Dhawan besides former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, former Speaker CP Joshi, state unit chief Govind Singh Dotasara and senior leaders like Sachin Pilot, Harish Chaudhary, Govind Ram Meghwal, and Jitendra Singh. Despite a strong campaign, the Congress could win only 69 seats out of a total of 200 in Rajasthan with the BJP getting 115.
In 2018, the Congress had won 99 seats. This time over 60 sitting MLAs lost the election, but several new faces have won, said party insiders, adding that the party’s poll strategy in the state needs to be changed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. At a recent poll loss review in Jaipur, the newly-elected MLAs authorized Kharge to name the new CLP leader. Alongside, a new state unit chief will also be named, said party insiders.
The concern is now to win a significant number of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state as the Congress could not win any in 2019 despite coming to power in 2018. Like Rajasthan, the Bhupesh Bhagel government in Chhattisgarh suffered from an anti-incumbency as the party could win only 35 seats out of the total 90 with the BJP getting 54. In 2018, the Congress had won 68 seats.
The Congress needs to put in place a new team in Chhattisgarh where the grand old party could win only 2 of the total 11 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 against 9 of the BJP. The issue is whether to retain Bhagel as the new CLP and change the state unit chief Deepak Baij, who was appointed a few months before the assembly polls, or not.
According to party insiders, the setback is the biggest in Madhya Pradesh where the Congress had a golden chance to return to power but failed to capitalize on the opportunity. This time, the Congress could win only 66 seats out of the total 230 with the BJP getting 163. In 2018, the Congress had won 114 seats and formed a government, which was toppled by the BJP in 2020 after Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the saffron party.
According to party insiders, MP unit chief Kamal Nath has been sounded that he will be replaced soon while a new CLP will also be named to prepare for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress could win only 1 Lok Sabha seat in the state out of the total 29 with the BJP getting 28.
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Congress' performance in MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan disappointing: Kharge
