Congress suffers in silence

Silence hung over not just the Congress’ Akbar Road headquarters today but swept across neighbouring 10, Janpath, the residence of party president Sonia Gandhi.

Congress insiders said Sonia refused to meet any party leader or take any telephone call till late afternoon. Oscar Fernandes was the lone leader to turn up briefly at the Akbar Road office, which sees hundreds of workers daily.

Barring Kamal Nath and Shankersinh Vaghela, the two who spearheaded the party’s failed campaign in Gujarat, none of the top leaders opted for public mourning. And while both Vaghela and Nath took responsibility for the rout, Sonia, it is learnt, has asked for ‘‘greater introspection’’.

A full-fledged CWC meeting is being scheduled. Sonia has also asked Kamal Nath to ask prominent Gujarat Congressmen why almost all their high-profile state leaders had to bite the dust.

Nath attributed the defeat to a ‘‘silent wave of Hindutva which our leaders in Gujarat and Delhi could not comprehend till yesterday. It took all of us by surprise’’. The wave, he conceded, overrode everything: so much so that the party was wiped out within a 100-km radius of Godhra.

It’s not clear how many heads will roll but fingers are already being pointed at the ‘‘shoddy’’ ticket distribution and the way the campaign managers under-utilised the cadre. As many as 33 seats went to the Vaghela camp alone, pointed out an insider, insisting that this required a post-mortem. Though Kamal Nath refuted the suggestion, he could not explain why the 14 sons and relatives of state leaders were given tickets.

Nath denied that the Congress lost because of its ‘‘soft Hindutva’’ card. ‘‘We fought on the issue of overall development and we have gained in percentage of votes. But the people of Gujarat had been living in a state of fear, and the BJP cashed in on it,’’ he said.