'Congress to monitor Akhilesh government's performance'

Smarting from its poor showing in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the state Congress said Friday it would monitor the performance of the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government and continue to struggle for the people of the state.

Smarting from its poor showing in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the state Congress said Friday it would monitor the performance of the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government and continue to struggle for the people of the state.

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State Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who is in the capital to meet party general secretary Rahul Gandhi as part of the exercise examine the reasons for the party's poll debacle, said the party will monitor how the Akhilesh Yadav government implements central schemes.

“We will continue to struggle for welfare of people and keep an eye on activities of the state government vis-a-vis central programmes,” Joshi told reporters.

Gandhi, who is analysing poll results by meeting MPs, legislators and candidates who had polled more than 20,000 votes, has exhorted partymen to unitedly start working for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Gandhi has also indicated that changes will be made in the state unit of the party to revitalise it.

Gandhi Thursday met over 150 candidates who had lost the electoral battle but secured over 20,000 votes, and got their feedback on the party's dismal performance. He met party legislators Friday and is scheduled to meet MPs later in the day.

The two-day interaction is the first formal stocktaking of the poll outcome by Gandhi, who had spearheaded the party's campaign in the state. The Congress won 28 of 403 assembly seats up a mere 22 from 2007.