CWC meets to review strategy after poor performance in Lok Sabha election 2019; Congress leaders avoid questions

New Delhi: Top Congress leaders from across the country on Saturday got together to review the party’s drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, in a Congress Working Committee meeting. However, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who chaired the meeting, left the venue without addressing the media. [caption id=“attachment_6700441” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Rahul Gandhi chaired the Congress Working Committee meeting on Saturday. PTI[/caption] The CWC meeting was attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Uttar Pradesh (East) in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and chief ministers of three party-ruled states — Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh — and of the Union Territory Puducherry. The meeting of the party’s highest decision-making body is expected to have gone into the reasons behind the party’s debacle and discus as to why it’s poll narrative failed to convince the people. There were speculations that the Congress president would offer his resignation taking responsibility for the party’s poor performance in the polls. However, the party clarified that reports about Rahul offering to resign “were wrong”. Senior leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram was also present in the meeting alongside other party colleagues including AK Antony, Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sheila Dikshit, Mallikarjun kharge, Ambika Soni, Anand Sharma, and Jyotiraditya Scindia. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot also attended the meeting along with their Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel. Though the Congress improved on its 2014 tally of 44, it could win just 52 Lok Sabha seats this year. In 18 states and Union Territories, the party could not open its account. Murmurs are already appearing within the party over taking responsibility for its poor performance, with some of its leaders already sending in their resignations. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar and Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik have announced their resignations from the post.