Upset over poll debacle, Congress' G-23 leaders to meet in next 48 hours

Disappointed with the Assembly election results in Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Goa, the Congress' group of 23 leaders (G-23) will convene a meeting in the next 48 hours, a senior leader said on Thursday.

"Upset with results and rapid decline of Congress in the recent Assembly elections, G-23 leaders to convene meet in the next 48 hours," a senior leader toldon anonymity.

The Congress lost Punjab to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and was unable to come to power in Goa, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur.

The party has decided to convene a Congress Working Committee meeting soon to introspect the results, said Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday.

"The results of 5 states have come against the expectations of the Congress party but we accept that we failed to get the blessings of the people. Sonia Gandhi has decided to convene Congress Working Committee meeting soon to introspect the results," Surjewala said addressing a press conference in Delhi.

Reacting to the trends of the poll results, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he humbly accept the people's verdict adding that the party will learn from it.

"Humbly accept the people's verdict. Best wishes to those who have won the mandate. My gratitude to all Congress workers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication. We will learn from this and keep working for the interests of the people of India," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Notably, prominent G-23 leaders of the Congress Ghulam Nabi Azad and Manish Tewari on Friday did not find space in a list of star campaigners for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.

In 2020, Congress' groups of 23 leaders (G-23) had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi demanding a slew of organizational reforms including elections for CWC members, its president and for the party's Parliamentary Board.

G-23 members have on several occasions raised their issues, creating a storm within the party.

( With inputs from ANI )