‘Central leadership did not give support to Congress’

Vijay Wadettiwar, the leader of Opposition in the legislative Assembly and senior Congress leader, on Tuesday criticised the party’s central leadership for not giving

Vijay Wadettiwar, the leader of Opposition in the legislative Assembly and senior Congress leader, on Tuesday criticised the party’s central leadership for not giving adequate support during the Assembly polls. Wadettiwar also attacked the state leadership for wrong decisions, which reportedly resulted in the party winning fewer seats in Vidarbha.

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The state unit of the party had requested the Central leadership for at least 15 rallies or road shows by party president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi for campaigning. Rahul Gandhi held seven rallies in Mumbai and other parts of the state, while the other two did not hold any rally or road show.

“We had demanded more rallies by Central leaders, but they did not pay heed to this,” he said. Wadettiwar won from Brahmapuri constituency in Vidarbha, defeating Shiv Sena’s Sandeep Gaddamwar. He is unlikely to be continued in the post of the leader of opposition after the Congress won fewer seats (44) than ally NCP (54). “The wrong decision by a state leader cost us dear in Vidarbha, otherwise we would have won 10 more seats,” he said.

The Congress won 15 seats this time against 10 in 2014. Vidarbha has 62 constituencies of the 288-seat Assembly.