With worst-ever electoral performance in Bihar, heads have started rolling in the Congress. The first to go is the state unit chief Mehboob Ali Kaiser, who has decided to resign from the post owning moral responsibility for the dismal show.
“Being the head of the party’s state unit, I have decided to put in my papers owning moral responsibility for the party’s performance. I have sought an appointment with the Congress president tomorrow. I will submit my resignation to her,” Mr Kaiser said, adding that he, however, would continue to work for the party. “I will continue to work to strengthen the party in Bihar,” he said.
The party had won nine and 10 seats respectively in November 2005 and February 2005 Assembly elections in the state when it had allied with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD and Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP respectively.
This was the first time since 1990 that the Congress was contesting the Assembly elections in the state without any alliance partner in the state. The Congress was the only party in the election that contested all the 243 seats this time. The poor performance came as a shock for the party, which was hoping to emerge as a “powerful third angle” in the state politics.
Mr Kaiser is not going to be the only leader from the state to resign, as many more are expected to follow suit, sources said, adding that the high command has a plan to revamp the Bihar unit. “Party leaders in the state are holding a meeting on November 27 to discuss the elections results. After this, a delegation will go to meet the Congress president and apprise her of the reasons for the defeat. The current lot of leaders need to be changed,” a Congress leader on condition of anonymity said.