New Delhi: The no-nonsense manner in which the Congress president Sonia Gandhi conducted the review meeting on Monday evening after the poll debacle in four states clearly indicates that she has returned for a more active organisational role to guide her party through the political landmines of 2014.
Sonia Gandhi made it clear to top Congress leaders by saying that pricerise was the main reason for the defeat of the ruling party.
The meeting was so significant that two senior Union ministers A K Antony (Defence) and Ghulam Nabi Azad (Health) skipped the cabinet meeting to attend the Congress review meeting.
Sonia Gandhi had so far been maintaining a low profile, giving all day-to-day decision-making powers to her son Rahul Gandhi. She even addressed only five election rallies, compared to 25 election rallies addressed by Rahul Gandhi.
On Sunday afternoon, when Rahul Gandhi allowed her mother to address the media first, it was clear that Sonia Gandhi will now be in charge of the party to face the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Her cryptic comment was "when the appropriate moment comes, we will announce him as our prime ministerial candidate".
The old band of advisers led by Ahmed Patel, had been effectively sidelined during the run-up to the state assembly polls, and Rahul Gandhi's laptop-wielding advisers had almost edged out the old brigade.
A senior Congress leader said, we need to focus on the immediate goals, and not a 15-year programme. "We need to accept the reality of coalition politics. It is difficult to go back to single party rule, a dream that Rahul ji has."
Meanwhile, heads are going to roll in the Congress party as well as in the Union Cabinet.
AICC in-charge of states where the Congress lost have offered to resign.
The head of MP Congress campaign committee Jyotiraditya Scindia had called for “major reconstruction” and introspection in the party.
“On all accounts we failed, failed and failed. There is a need to relook.... It is the collective leadership of the party in the state (responsible for the loss),” he said,
“We have to look into the way we took or did not take our message to the people and also we have to look at the way our own party is equipped or not so equipped in running an election,” Sonia Gandhi had said on Sunday.
