 "Sonia, Rahul offer to quit party posts, CWC refuses to accept")
Upset over the party's worst ever performance in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress President Sonia Gandhi offered to quit, as she had "not been able to make the necessary changes to strengthen the party" and asked the Congress Working Committee (CWC) accept the resignation. But, the committee unanimously rejected her resignation.
Close on the heels, Rahul Gandhi, too, offered to resign. But the CWC was not ready to accept it. Finally, the CWC said the party would take "collective responsibility" for the poll rout.
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While the Congress president tracing the reasons for the defeat, cited the two term anti-incumbency, disconnect with the electorate, the failure of the party and government to communicate their achievements. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accepted government's failure to curb price rise and corruption.
While special invitee Anil Shastri said Congress's communication lacked conviction, others pointed out that it was the failure to respond effectively to the accusation of corruption levelled by the Opposition caused the rout. Some also highlighted the failures of bodies like the Election Coordination Committee headed by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
The Congress chief said the aggressive and polarising campaign launched by the BJP was one of the major reasons behind the defeat. The "unlimited resources and hostile media" also contributed in blacking out the Congress message, according to Sonia. Nonetheless, she admitted the party had failed to "keep pace with changing aspirations" and connect with the electorate.
Congress General Secretary B K Hariprasad also spoke about how the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had infiltrated into the majority community and polarised the polity, resulting in en masse voting of Hindus in favour of the BJP.
The campaign managed to blur conventional caste lines.
Some members, including P Chidambaram, raised the issue of faulty ticket distribution.