Effects of multiple defeats in Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh on Sunday are started being witnessed on the party programmes of Congress party. Birthday of Congress president Sonia Gandhi was celebrated in an ordinary function at the party office in Ranchi on her 67th birthday. Unlike last year, the cake did not weigh according to the age of Sonia Gandhi, nor was her birthday was made a grand occasion by the local Congress leaders.
Interestingly, this time the cake - termed “beautiful” by PCC workers - weight around seven pounds unlike last year when the cake weighed as many as 66 pounds, exactly same of the age of Congress chief last year. State party president Sukhdeo Bhagat however, said that the celebration was kept ordinary as they were observing national mourning on the death of Noble laureate Mahatma Gandhi.
“Birthday is being celebrated in a very dignified way in an ordinary function which has nothing to do with the defeat in the recent assembly elections in the four states,” said Bhagat.
He also admitted that there was disappointment among the party workers with the adverse results of the Assembly elections in the four States, but they were not frustrated.
Bhagat however, denied any magic of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for the defeat in the recent Assembly elections and questioned why Modi could not gather votes in Delhi. “There were number of local issues which could be held responsible for the adverse elections results against the Congress party,” he said.
PCC spokesperson Sailesh Sinha said that an simple programme was organised at the party office to pray for the long life of the Congress president.
“There was nothing special in the birthday and it was celebrated in a very simple way - a cake was cut and we prayed for her long life,” said Sinha. It was a very simple cake having a picture of Soniaji over it, added Sinha. “This is definitely an affect of the poor performance of the Congress party in the Assembly elections held in the four States and there are several other reasons also for celebrating our president’s birthday in such a simple way,” Sinha said.
According to the Congress leaders, it was just a formality which was simply observed due to the recent death of Noble laureate Nelson Mandela. For some the recent Assembly elections results however, also said to be one of the reasons for the celebration of Sonia’s birthday in an ordinary way. “Such results definitely affect the morale of the party workers - they are disappointed but not frustrated,” said congress leader Ajay Rai.
Poor turnout of party workers was registered on Monday during Sonia’s birthday celebration in Ranchi. Barring state congress president Sukhdeo Bhagat and HRD Minister Geetashree Oraon, no other prominent leader or minister was present in the programme.