Assembly election debacle: Congress Working Committee to meet on Dec. 21

The CWC will convene just days after parties belonging to the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance bloc meet in Delhi on December 19 to carry forward their discussion on putting up a united front against the BJP.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. File

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on December 21, a source said on Sunday.

The party’s highest decision-making body will convene just days after parties belonging to the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc meets in Delhi on December 19 to carry forward their discussion on putting up a united front against the BJP.

In the recent held election in the Hindi heartland States of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the INDIA bloc could not come to any understanding as the Congress was not keen on seat sharing in Madhya Pradesh with the Samajwadi Party (SP).  

The CWC will deliberate on the reasons for the debacle as the Congress had hoped to wrest Madhya Pradesh from the BJP and retain Chhattisgarh, where it suffered a shock defeat

In Rajasthan, where there is a tradition of voting out incumbent governments, the party was hoping that the popular welfare schemes of the Ashok Gehlot government would help break that tradition. 

After the election results, the top leadership, including Mr. Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal had only reviewed the poor electoral performance. 

On Saturday, Mr. Kharge appointed Jitu Patwari as the new Madhya Pradesh Congress chief while former Speaker of the Chhattisgarh Assembly, Charan Das Mahant, has been appointed as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party.