From Our Special Correspondent
Post-mortem of Congress’ dismal performance in Lok Sabha elections in Meghalaya
New Delhi: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) will examine the party’s performance in the Lok Sabha elections in Meghalaya on Sunday. The results would be discussed by a committee headed by senior party leader A.K. Antony which will be attended by Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president D.D. Lapang who are arriving here on Saturday following instructions from the high command, AICC sources said.
Unlike in several states where the Congress was wiped out, in Meghalaya the party retained the Shillong parliamentary seat but could not wrest the Tura seat from political veteran and NPP president Purno A. Sangma.
The committee set up by Congress president Sonia Gandhi has, besides Antony, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik and secretaries R.C. Khuntia and Avinash Pandey as its members. The leaders will hold one-to-one discussions with all stakeholders including the Chief Minister and the MPCC chief.
The AICC is taking the loss of Tura seat seriously since Purno’s comeback trail as an NDA ally has upset the Congress high command. Secondly, the party is unable to digest the defeat in Garo Hills where it had, just over a year ago, steamrolled Purno and his NPP in the Assembly polls.
Despite the victory in the Shillong seat the party is unhappy over the serious infighting involving even the top leaders including cabinet ministers during the run up to the elections.
AICC sources informed that Lapang has been asked to submit specific reasons for the alleged anti-party activities of certain top leaders and the dramatic growth of the BJP vote base in Shillong.
During the one-to-one meetings, the State leaders would be expected to explain the reasons behind the party’s loss in Tura and the reduced victory margin in Shillong. The AICC committee is likely to come up with its report on the poll debacle in around a month and also suggest steps for the party to bounce back.
The exercise is being undertaken at the behest of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has been asked by the party’s apex decision making body, the Congress Working Committee, to effect necessary changes in its organizational set-up in light of the poor poll results.
Congress secured its lowest-ever tally of 44 seats in the 543 member Lok Sabha in the general elections held in April-May this year.