Poll Debacle In 5 States: Leadership Change In Congress Not Needed, Says Former Odisha In-Charge BK Hariprasad

In wake of the Congress' debacle in the recently-concluded Assembly elections in five states, senior party leader and former Odisha in-charge BK Hariprasad said that the whole team and the concerned state Congress units are responsible for the poor performance of the grand old party. However, the veteran leader said that he does not agree with those who want change in the top leadership of the Congress.

“We didn’t have much stake in Uttar Pradesh. The Opposition was silent on developmental work and won the election on a communal agenda. It will take some time to nullify this kind of effect in the State,” said Hariprasad in a special interview to OTV.

Congress tried its best and was successful in attracting voters in all the five states. Huge number of people joined our meetings and rallies. But we failed to translate it into votes, said the senior party leader.

“BJP has not even got a simple majority in Goa. They are hankering after power. They will go to any extent to achieve power which will not keep them in good stead in future,” said Hariprasad who has come to Bhubaneswar to take part in a social programme.

However, the senior leader refused to give any statement about the state of the Congress party in Odisha.

Notably, the Congress chiefs in five states – Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur – have resigned after party president Sonia Gandhi asked them to do so in the wake of the party’s disastrous performance in the Assembly elections in those states.