RESULTS RAHUL
NEW DELHI: A big question that is being debated in the capital Thursday evening was about the fate of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president. There were some hints that he has expressed a readiness to step down by shouldering the responsibility for the poor showing of the party in the Lok Sabha polls.
Rahul Gandhi, who addressed the media after the results showed a huge BJP victory, replied to a question on this by saying the matter would be discussed by the party high command. It however is unlikely that the party leadership put the blame for the poor show on the party president. Rahul Gandhi had shown some promise in the LS campaign this time, and chances are he will be persuaded to continue as party chief.
This is also because the last refuge of the party, Priyanka Vadra, did not prove to be very effective in marshalling the party’s campaign in eastern Uttar Pradesh, an assignment that she had been given after she was made party general secretary a few months ago. Sonia Gandhi is ailing, and would not lead the party from the front. Neither are Congressmen very enthused about this.
At the media meet Thursday, he acknowledged that Prime Minister Modi won a new term in office and his party was defeated at the hustings. “He presented a theme, we presented another theme. People accepted his line,” Rahul Gandhi said. He congratulated PM Modi, as also Smriti Irani, who defeated him in Amethi. The Congress chief thankede the voters of Wayanad in Kerala, where a strong Muslim-Christian consolidation saw his victory by a record margin of over four lakh votes. –IHN-NN
At the media meet Thursday, he acknowledged that Prime Minister Modi won a new term in office and his party was defeated at the hustings. “He presented a theme, we presented another theme. People accepted his line,” Rahul Gandhi said. He congratulated PM Modi, as also Smriti Irani, who defeated him in Amethi. The Congress chief thankede the voters of Wayanad in Kerala, where a strong Muslim-Christian consolidation saw his victory by a record margin of over four lakh votes. –IHN-NN
