Sonia verdict: A lot more to defeat than just price rise

Calling the recent drubbing in Punjab and Uttarakhand Assembly polls as “disappointing,” Congress president Sonia Gandhi said today that while price rise could have had an effect on the results

Calling the recent drubbing in Punjab and Uttarakhand Assembly polls as “disappointing,” Congress president Sonia Gandhi said today that while price rise could have had an effect on the results, the party needed to take a hard look at deeper, more systemic factors: organization, discipline and a tendency to put individual ambition above party interest.

“Our performance in Punjab and Uttarakhand left much to be desired,” she told the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting here today where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was also present. “Inspite of all-round development, we were unable to retain power. This tells us that while objective factors such as the price rise may have had an impact, there were other reasons as well,” Gandhi said.

The “other reasons” was an obvious reference to the state of the organisation in the two states which saw several rebels in the fray and one-upmanship among state leaders.

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“If we are to learn from our experience,” Gandhi said, “we must draw the correct conclusions (from our defeat). We must be candid with ourselves and look inwards to examine why so many sitting MLAs and ministers failed to retain their seats. What were our shortcomings? Did we put up the best possible candidates and effort? Did our party fail to work unitedly? Were we mindful enough of the sensitivities and expectations of different sections of the people? These questions need to be answered, and the answers analysed. Party unity and discipline are vital, but again and again, we tend to subjugate individual ambitions to larger party objectives.”

On the price rise issue, she said, “I know all of you have been concerned with the price situation. There is no doubt that our government has placed the economy on a higher growth path and the investment climate has improved significantly. Business confidence, both nationally and internationally, is high. But prices remain a source of worry. Our party and the government are in regular touch (on this issue).”

The UPA government, she said, had already announced a large number of measures and referred to the PM’s letter to all CMs where he had listed steps and urged them to keep a check on hoarding and speculation.

Referring to the forthcoming UP Assembly polls, she said,”We are going to be put to the test again shortly…UP polls are round the corner.. this will be a difficult challenge.”

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Without referring to the Quattrocchi detention controversy, she attacked the BJP for disrupting House proceedings. “They do not seem to be interested in reasonable and dignified discussions. Time and again, whenever contentious issues have arisen, our party and government have steadfastly maintained that we are always ready for debate. This kind of disturbance and disruption witnessed since the beginning of the session have only served to harm the legislative agenda of the nation,” she said.

Referring to the Samjhauta Express blast, Gandhi said: “We must not let this tragic event divert us from our common endeavour to normalise relations between our two countries.”