State Congress president Raj Babbar defended his party’s alliance with the Samajwadi Party and vice-president Rahul Gandhi on the humiliating defeat in the Assembly polls.
“Congress has won in three states out of the five that went to polls which is indicator enough that Rahul Gandhi was successful in his mission,” said Babbar while claiming that one leader cannot be blamed for defeat in two elections.
Addressing a press conference after felicitating seven MlAs in the recent polls in lucknow on Saturday, the Congress state chief said that the party was yet to assess what went wrong with its alliance with the SP. Babbar alleged that Congress lost in Goa and Manipur to money and muscle power of the BJP despite getting more seats.
“Samajwadi Party has started reviewing at the micro level to comprehend reasons behind the defeat and Congress will also do so soon after discussing it with the losing contestants on Sunday,” he said.
Babbar, who earlier offered to resignat from the state chief’s post after taking responsibility of the poll debacle, said that every Congress worker wants UP to develop and the BJP should fulfill promises made during the elections.
Babbar however shied away from speaking on party’s poll strategist Prashant Kishore alias PK and commented that he had done his job. When asked if Congress will also join the Opposition in demanding that polling be carried out using ballot papers, Babbar said ,” We should have faith on the Election Commission and the EC should assure people that elections have been held in a transparent way.”
Earlier, the seven new elected MlAs were greeted by senior leaders at the Congress state office. On Sunday, the party would hold a meeting of 107 loosing candidates to review poll results.