Sabotage at local level,says UPCC chief

A day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi echoed her son Rahul in blaming organisational weakness for the election loss,infighting in the party in the wake of its debacle in Uttar Pradesh came out in the open.

A day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi echoed her son Rahul in blaming organisational weakness for the election loss,infighting in the party in the wake of its debacle in Uttar Pradesh came out in the open. PCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Thursday said that there should no blame-game when the party is in crisis. She was responding to allegations made by party MP from Sultanpur Sanjay Singh that neither the party nor several of the candidates from Amethi wanted him to campaign during the polls.

Singhs wife Ameeta lost to an SP candidate in the district. The whole party cadre was collectively responsible for the showing in the state. It is wrong to indulge in a blame-game at this moment when the party is in crisis,and it was the duty of the MP to campaign, Joshi said reporters here. She said leaders at the local level acted irresponsibly and there was a lot of sabotage within the party at that level. However,sabotage at the local level was not the only reason for the partys defeat as it was in the case of many parties, she said.

Joshi said that she was going to Delhi on Friday and will meet Sonia in a day or two. When asked about her resignation in the face of poor performance of the Congress in the polls,she said that the matter will be discussed in the meeting.

Earlier,Singh said,It is unfortunate that he did not campaign,but neither the party,nor the candidates wanted me to be there8230;So I didnt go. He said,Candidates didnt feel that I being a Member of Parliament is going to help. They thought they themselves were enough. These gentlemen who were made candidates in my five segments opposed me. I was of the view that they may lose or that there was no candidate who could win in these five segments.

On Wednesday,playing down the Congresss dismal show in the family pocketboroughs of Amethi and Rae Bareli,where the Congress won only two of the 10 seats,Sonia had said: There have been such defeats earlier. It seems people were not happy with the sitting MLAs. The new candidates won. Asked if the partys problem was lack of leadership,she remarked: I would say rather than lack of leaders,too many leaders,that is our problem.