Ever since Lok Sabha results were announced there is complete demoralisation in rank and file of Congress Party, which is out of power in the state since 1989.

Congress workers are convinced that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, it would be very difficult to revive the party. They think unless party adopted the path of agitation and street fight against the corruption and deterioration in law and order under the Akhilesh Yadav government and the persistent issue of inflation under Modi government at the centre, it would be difficult to convince the people that Congress would fight for them.

Congress workers remember as to how Priyanka Gandhi challenged Mayawati government when the hut of a dalit was damaged in Sultanpur. When Priyanka gave call for shramdan to rebuild the hut of dalit, Mayawati government was so unnerved that special package for development was announced.

Veteran Congress leaders also remember the days of late Sanjay Gandhi who fought on streets during Janata regime between 1977 and 1980 when Congress was out of power. Sanjay helped his mother, late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to bring Congress back to power in 1980.

Significantly enough, all those who had fought with Sanjay Gandhi were rewarded with tickets in Lok Sabha and assembly polls as well as in party organisation.

Shocked by the humiliating defeat in recent Lok Sabha polls when party could win only two seats that too for Sonia and Rahul, Congress leader blame Rahul Gandhi and his team for their failure to provide proper leadership.

The present mood of Congress leaders and workers, who are full of anger and at the same time concerned with the state of affairs of the party, is reflected through 20-page pamphlet titled Bitter Truth by party veteran Ameer Haider.

Ameer Haider, who enjoys support from a large number of party leaders and workers, has exposed poor functioning of leadership which resulted in debacle in the elections. Haider has blamed the decision to patronise few political families, like that of Rampur where mother Begum Nur Banu was given ticket from Moradabad and her son was given ticket from Rampur and both of them lost the elections.

Similarly he blamed the decision to support Sanjay Singh and his wife from royal family of Amethi. Sanjay bargained his ticket in Rajya Sabha by threatening Rahul Gandhi that he could join BJP and damage elections in Amethi. Ameer Haider questioned the wisdom of giving ticket to Sanjay’s wife from Sultanpur, where party lost even deposit.

Rahul Gandhi’s experiment of implementing zonal system in UP Congress is also being criticised by Ameer Haider in his book as a major step which also damaged party organisation as party could not open its offices in many places. When Rahul Gandhi realised that it was bad decision then he had no option but to take it back and revive the old system.

Ameer Haider pointed out in his book that party has remained leaderless for longer period in the state. He and other loyalists have criticised the decision to send party in-charge Madhusudan Mistry MP to contest from Gujarat against Modi. When Mr Mistry was already in Rajya Sabha what was wisdom in sending to Gujarat as state party president Nirmal Khatri was also contesting from Gujarat, he asked. There was no senior leader in war-room of party headquarter to take the responsibility as party organisation remained leaderless during the polls.

Ameer Haider and others compared the situation with BJP and said that party in-charge Amit Shah and party president LK Bajpai remained in the war-room of party headquarters, which resulted in 72 seats for the BJP.

Large-scale infighting in the party has also been held responsible for debacle of party in the elections as pointed out by Ameer Haider in his book. It was mentioned that infighting between Union minister Beni Prasad Verma and Mr PL Punia was responsible for their defeat in their constituencies.

Irresponsible statements by senior ministers during the polls have also been held responsible for loss of party in the elections. Ameer Haider said in his book that irresponsible statements by union ministers like Beni Prasad Verma, Salman Khurshid, Jairam Ramesh and Mani Shankar Aiyar ultimately corroded party base and took a toll on voteshare.

Ameer added while one hand BJP party headquarters was full of activity all through in contrast with UP Congress committee office where people assembled only for condolence meetings.

Ameer Haider was also very critical of Rahul Gandhi decision to tear apart the copy of ordinance in Delhi Press Club on the issue of punishment to convicted persons. Haider also castigated Rahul Gandhi for skipping dinner in the honour of Dr Manmohan Singh and supporting Imran Masood’s controversial statement.

It is obvious that Congress leaders are now openly saying how Rahul Gandhi is always surrounded by sycophants and his key advisers, who created distance between the leader and workers, thereby resulting in big loss for the party.

It was also pointed in Haider’s book that although there ere six union ministers from UP, but they could not find time to visit UP Congress headquarters to meet party workers and general public in the state to listen to peoples’ problems.

So Ameer Haider, who has support from thousands of party workers and leaders who are still loyal to the Gandhi family, urge party leadership to give Priyanka Gandhi responsibility of UP and Bihar to revive the party. Haider added soon he would convene a meeting of senior Congress leaders and workers where they would discuss the strategy to revive the party base in the state and beyond.(IPA Service)