Why poll results may spell trouble for Cong leaders who are close to Rahul

In the run-up to the polling for the Assembly polls, some Congress leaders said associates of Rahul had asked them to pick a side in the imminent battle between the younger leadership and the veteran

When he first threatened to quit as the Congress president in the immediate aftermath of the Lok Sabha poll results in May, Rahul Gandhi had wanted the veterans in the party to follow his example. When he eventually quit two months later and the veterans did not, he accused them of clinging to power. There was speculation in the party that a Congress decimation in the Assembly polls in Haryana and Maharashtra could pave the path for Rahul’s return.

In the run-up to the polling for the Assembly polls, some of the Congress leaders said associates of Rahul had asked