 "Sonia Gandhi")
The Congress needs to undergo "cardiac surgery" and not "cosmetic surgery" to be able to regain its health, particularly after its disappointing performance in the five-state assembly elections, party leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi said on Monday.
"It's clear that introspection is needed at district, state and national levels. Some are talking about surgery and I agree this surgery should have been done two years ago. But cosmetic surgery will not help as the party needs cardiac surgery to deliver electoral success," said Chaturvedi, a Congress member of the Rajya Sabha.
Barring Puducherry, the party could not win or retain power in any of the other states, namely Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
"We have to rethink about those because of whom the party had to face defeat. We should inculcate such leaders in the party who can motivate party workers, strengthen the party and enthrall the electorate," he added.
Another senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh had earlier called for a "major surgery" in the party after its losses in the assembly polls.
"Now, whatever introspection had to happen has happened. What we need now is action, and that action has to be decided by the president (Sonia Gandhi) and vice president (Rahul Gandhi)," Digvijay Singh had told India Today TV.
