Gujarat Cong meet today

BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Ahmedabad

June 6: The Gujarat Congress unit will meet for a special two-day introspection exercise at Dwarka from Saturday.

Central leaders Jaipal Reddy, B.K. Hariprasad and Rajiv Shukla have arrived to be a part of the introspection exercise. The two-day camp will probe reasons why the Congress failed to connect with the electorate in the Assembly elections and focus on strategies for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress in Gujarat fared miserably in the last Assembly elections held six months back. The party failed to capitalise on several odds stacked against Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. The Congress leaders were over confident. They claimed of gaining a two third majority, but could in reality bag only 59 out of the 182 Assembly seats. At present the Congress has 12 of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat. During the two-day introspection, the party leaders would focus on strategies to retain these seats and work out ways to invigorate the demoralised party cadre in the state. Sources also indicated that central party leaders Jaipal Reddy, B.K. Hariprasad and Rajiv Shukla will consult the state leaders on whether the present state party president Bharat Solanki be allowed to continue or not.

Mr Solanki is believed to be good at strategising but he failed in taking all party leaders together. Some of his personal life scandals also tarnished the image of the Congress in the state, it is said.