Congress president Sonia Gandhi visited her constituency, Rae Bareli, for the first time after the Lok Sabha elections debacle on Friday and told party workers she was saddened by the result of polls.
“I am saddened at election results… will continue to lead from the front,” Gandhi said. “Priyanka will continue to walk with you (Congress workers),” she added.
The Congress experienced its worst electoral defeat in more than six decades in the recently concluded general elections. Congress vice-president and the party’s face for the 2014 polls, Rahul Gandhi, had owned up responsibility for the debacle before the media, saying there was “a lot for us to think about”.
But Sonia Gandhi immediately took over from him and read out a 175-word statement in Hindi on the day of election results, taking the blame for the defeat as questions were being raised about Rahul’s leadership and style of functioning.
In Rae Bareli on Friday, Sonia Gandhi assured Congress workers of efforts to restore the party’s standing. “I will lead the party's revival... I will work with you, walk with you on this path of struggle,” NDTV reported her as saying to her supporters.
The Congress won 44 seats, beating its previous low of 114 seats in 1999. It failed to open its account in seven states and did not cross the double-digit mark in any state. The Congress president and her son, however, won from their respective constituencies — Rae Bareli and Amethi.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress won 44 seats, beating its previous low of 114 seats in 1999. It failed to open its account in seven states and did not cross the double-digit mark in any state. The Congress president and her son, however, won from their respective constituencies — Rae Bareli and Amethi.
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