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Gujarat Cong meet today
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NewsByte on 06 June, 2008 02:36:04
 
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.