Meanwhile as expected party president Sonia Gandhi and her son and Congress vice-president accepted defeat in the two states. In a press statement, Sonia said, ‘Congress party accepts the election verdict delivered by the people of Maharashtra and Haryana with humility. (Congress) resolves to play a constructive and vigilant role. People of Maharashtra and Haryana trusted us with their mandate thrice and twice respectively. Hope that the parties forming Government will fulfil the promises that they made.’
On the other hand, Rahul congratulated the BJP for doing well. He said, ‘We accept the verdict of people, people voted for change after 15 years of our government in Maharashtra and 10 years of government in Haryana. I congratulate BJP on their success. The Congress party will work hard on the ground to once again earn the confidence of the people.’
With the election results trickling in since morning, cries from party workers yet again broke out raising slogans of having Priyanka Gandhi to take active part in party affairs. This is not the first time such a demand has been made but each time Priyanka has carefully distanced herself saying from entering active politics and to limit her to campaigning for her mother and brother in their respective constituencies only. She did the same during the Lok Sabha polls too.
Waving posters, which read ‘Priyanka Lao Congress Bachao’ party workers appealed to Rahul Gandhi to take the initiative to bring his sister into politics. ‘We appeal to Rahul ji to bring Priyanka Gandhi into active politics. At a time when the party is passing through tough times, she can supplement him in stopping the march of Narendra Modi,’ said one of the party-worker outside the Congress office.
Meanwhile leaders in the party indicated that these were mere speculations. ‘Priyanka has categorically made it clear that she will not be entering mainstream politics. Each time these slogans are raised but it does not mean that she will be taking on an active role in the party,’ said a source.
Talking about the below expected performance, AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed said that the part will sit and analyse the causes of the same. Outgoing Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan while taking responsibility of the Congress rout in the state said that the party’s performance was disappointing though it still managed to recover some ground since the Lok Sabha elections. The reactions of the Congress leaders started coming in as it became more and more clear that the Modi wave had spurred the saffron party into the top position in Maharashtra and Haryana.