UP election debacle: Sonia puts blame on party set-up

Axe may fall on PCC chief Salman Khursheed, UP in-charge Ashok Gehlot.

Apparently looking for scapegoats for the failure of Rahul Gandhi to ensure a good performance for the party in the Uttar Pradesh elections, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today put the blame on "organisational failure," giving clear indications that the axe will now fall on party office-bearers in the state.

According to party sources, the Congress chief is set to effect an AICC re-shuffle in which Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi may replace Ashok Gehlot as the AICC general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh.

Although it was the Amethi MP who led the campaign, selected candidates and supervised the party's poll strategy, it is senior leaders like Gehlot and UP Congress chief Salman Khursheed who are likely to be blamed for the debacle.

Addressing a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting today, the Congress chief termed the party's performance in UP "very disappointing." The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mamohan Singh and other senior party leaders.

"We mounted a spirited campaign throughout which we witnessed a great deal of goodwill and support towards our party. But organisationally, we were not able to transform that goodwill into votes," she said.

Emerging out of the CPP meeting, the Amethi MP also put the blame on a weak organisation and congratulated Chief Minister Mayawati on her victory. "What happened is that we don't have an organisation there and we have to build that... It is a process we are going to work for," he said, adding, "As far as we are concerned, our fight carries on and we are going to bring the Congress back in Uttar Pradesh."

The party chief, in her address, congratulated the UPA government, which will complete three years this week. She also raised the issue of inflation. "As I mentioned the last time we met, the government has taken steps to control prices of essential commodities and while these are having some impact, we must maintain the closest vigil on them," she said.

Re-iterating her party's stance on special economic zones (SEZs), she said land acquisition for these zones must be done in a transparent manner and in a way that fully protects the interest of farmers.

"The Empowered Group of Ministers headed by Pranabji has only cleared those SEZs where fresh land acquisition is not required...Our government is also working on a new rehabilitation Bill and on amendments to the existing Land Acquisition Act. All these three are expected to be cleared very soon," she said.