It’s raining resignations in Congress

After humiliating defeat in Delhi Assembly elections,  Congress men are queuing up to offer their resignation. The Congress was not expecting great outcome from Delhi elections but a figure of zero was beyond leader's imagination. 

The day started on a bad note when none of the Congress candidates were found leading in Delhi once the counting began. The party campaign chief in Delhi Ajay Maken was not even in second position at any point of time from Sadar Bazar constituency. As a result, Maken was first to comment. "I take full responsibility of the defeat. Even I have not been able to win my seat. Therefore I resign from my post of general secretary of Congress. I will convey my resignation to our president Sonia Gandhi," he said.

Next in line was Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely, who didn't fight election this time. Lovely was not very happy with the projection of Maken as the Delhi Congress face. Lovely wanted to fight the election from his Gandhinagar constituency and his name was there in the list. But later on the instructions  of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, his name was withdrawn from the list and he was asked to campaign for the party.

Rahul has always been advocating that state presidents shouldn't fight the election. Lovely was campaigning half heartedly and was visible in all party posters. In fact Maken did not figure in any party posters. Just after Maken, Lovely also resigned from the Delhi's president post.

Third in line was Delhi in-charge of party PC Chacko. Chacko was brought in just before Assembly elections. Before him Shakeel Ahmed was party in-charge and a fraction of the party complained about his working style. He was replaced by Chacko. After such a defeat, Chacko has also resigned from his post. Sources in the Congress reveal that some more senior leaders are in line and the party high-command may take action in the coming week.

The party headquarters was deserted by top leaders and except media persons and few office-bearers, no one came to the party office today.  However, Congress leaders are trying to find solace in AAP victory and BJP's loss. For them the good news is that the BJP has been defeated if not by them then someone else.

"In a way, the Congress and the BJP are on equal grounds in Delhi and we both need to work from the scratch," said a party office-bearer.  Some workers also shouted slogans of bringing Priyanka Gandhi to salvage the party.

But it has become a usual rhetoric in Congress. The good thing for the Congress is that they don't need to find a reason for the defeat.

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Kumar Anshuman