Mauled by BJP, Congress asks Rajasthan candidates to list reasons for defeat

NEW DELHI: Reeling from the whitewash in Rajasthan, Congress has asked all its candidates to provide reasons behind their defeat, in a move to get some clues about the outcome.
AICC general secretary in-charge Avinash Pande has also asked the District Congress Committees (DCC) and the state president to list reasons behind the dismal performance.
The candidates, the DCCs and the state president have been asked to submit their responses by June 11 after which Congress is likely to conduct a brainstorming session to figure out what went so terribly against the party at the recent polls and come up with correctives.
Congress is rattled by its abysmal performance in the Lok Sabha elections where it failed to win any of the 25 seats, just four months after it ousted BJP from power in the desert state.
The shock whitewash has triggered factionalism, with chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s camp and that of state party chief Sachin Pilot pointing fingers at each other.
On Wednesday, an MLA created an uproar by demanding a change of guard in the state. Sources said he has been served a show cause notice.
Even as he sought a detailed study on the defeat, Pande also urged the Congress leaders in Rajasthan to maintain discipline, saying they should not lose their way because of the “tough circumstances”. He said certain recent developments have hurt the image of Congress.
“Workers should desist from issuing statements that would suggest that an individual is hurting the party out of self interest or is working on a personal agenda,” he said. Pande said such activities or remarks would help the BJP agenda against Congress.