Team Rahul Gandhi fails to impress before party poll

Express News Service

NEW DELHI:  The poor poll show of Congress in Kerala and Assam, managed by Rahul Gandhi and his team, is expected to create some noise ahead of the party’s schedule to elect a new party chief by month-end.

While there are whispers that the party may further push the elections, citing COVID-19 situation, senior leaders may not stop questioning the party’s abysmal performance.

The Congress did not have much stake in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, where it won in alliance with the DMK.

However, Kerala was one state the party was looking at capturing power. The defeat has come as a huge setback for party leader Rahul Gandhi, who is the MP from Wayanad in the state and has also been micro-managing the polls.

Both Rahul Gandhi and sister Priyanka carried out extensive campaigns in Kerala and Assam. In Assam, the party brought in Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Bhagel and Rahul’s close aide Jitender Singh but there was no local face that could woo the voters.

In Kerala, the infighting among state unit and differences with central leadership has dented the party as it failed to capitalise upon the anti-incumbency against the Pinarayi Vijayan government.