Though it came late and with hesitation but the Congress accepted that it was ‘tsunami’ which swept throughout Jharkhand during the lok Sabha polls. A review meeting called by the party for the first time since the poll results came out also blamed the leadership for the new low the Congress has achieved.
Party candidates who had to feel the heat of ‘Modi wave’ blowing across the country and also in the State went a step ahead while putting onus on not only party workers acted against them in constituencies but also the high command for patronising sycophancy.“I doubt that Rahul Gandhi (Congress vice-president) has wise people around him. The people who are giving him advice are apolitical in nature. These NGO-type people cannot win elections for you. There was lack of strategy about dealing with pro-BJP mood and also to arrest the anger against the UPA Government,” said vanquished Congress candidate from Ranchi Subodh Kant Sahay on Monday.Nevertheless against the invitation to attend the review meeting sent to all nine party candidates from Jharkhand only four made to it. Apart from Sahay, Chitrasen Sinku, Ajay Dubey and Tilakdhari Singh attended the retrospection exercise. Here also the internal factionalism of the party came to the fore.
“First it was the Modi wave and there is no doubt about this. But what I also feel that our own people worked against me and that also at the last moment. This underlines the need to revamp the party ranks at the State level and also action should be taken against those who are guilty. I will raise the matter at a proper forum,” said Dheeraj Prasad Sahu who was Congress candidate from Chatra where he had to bite the dust against a first timer Sunil Singh of the BJP. Sahu is a known member of the opposite camp of Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhdeo Bhagat and his indication for non-cooperation and back stabbing was pointed towards the latter only. Interestingly, the old time Congressman gave the review meeting a slip. He at the same time also threw suggestions for overhaul ahead of Assembly elections.
Other leaders present in the meeting were also critical about the party forging an alliance in the State. They said that Congress sunk even further and gained nothing in return. On the hindsight Sukhdeo Bhagat maintained a diplomatic line.