New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in his opening remarks at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Friday, acknowledged the party’s poor performance in the Maharashtra and Haryana elections. He attributed it to internal disunity and issues with electronic voting machines (EVMs). He urged party members to focus on local issues rather than relying solely on national leaders and topics.
Kharge celebrated Congress’s strong comeback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but said he was disappointed over its subsequent performance in state elections. “The momentum was in our favour in the elections. But just the momentum being in our favour is not a guarantee of victory. We will have to learn to convert the atmosphere into results,” he said and urged the party to introspect.
Despite the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) winning in two out of four states, Kharge said that Congress’s performance remained subpar and called for “urgent corrective measures” at the organisational level.
Kharge stresses unity and discipline
The Congress president said that internal disunity, including conflicting statements, harmed the party’s efforts. “The most important thing that I keep saying is that lack of unity and statements against each other harm us a lot. Unless we fight elections unitedly and stop making statements against each other, how will we be able to defeat our opponents politically?” he asked and highlighted the need for discipline.
“We have to remain united under all circumstances. The victory of the Congress party is our victory and the defeat is our defeat,” he added.
Kharge raised concerns about the credibility of the electoral process and he criticised EVMs and the Election Commission, but he acknowledged the latter’s constitutional role in ensuring free and fair elections. “I believe that EVM has made the electoral process suspicious,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Kharge said the need for unity and determination, urging the party to overcome current challenges and restore progress and harmony in India. The CWC meeting was attended by leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K C Venugopal.
