12-25-2007, 02:25 AM
<b>Sullen Congress in introspective mode</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Central Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, AK Antony, Prithviraj Chavan, Dinsha Patel, Shankersinh Vaghela, Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel, senior leaders Digvijay Singh, BK Hariprasad, party spokesman Mukul Wasnik, State leaders Arjun Modhwadia and Bharatsinh Solanki attended the meeting.
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<b>The two main causes which were pointed out were our miserable performance in Saurashtra and over-dependence on BJP rebels to deliver."</b>
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<b>Digvijay Singh, who had been sent to central Gujarat, said: "They exploited a Rs 2 coin also. The BJP kept saying that there is a cross on the coin and what else could one expect from a party led by a foreigner. We just could not counter such a misleading campaign."</b>
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There is a gnawing doubt in a section of the leadership that former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, who had given his tacit support to the Congress and is now facing the BJP's wrath for anti-party activities, might not have played fair with the Congress in several areas. "Who knows about his loyalty? There have been certain reports that he worked against the Congress candidates in some areas," a Congress leader said.
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The party has already started feeling the pinch with the arrival of Mayawati's BSP in the political arena of Gujarat. All India Congress Committee general secretary and in-charge of Gujarat BK Hariprasad said: "<b>BSP polled 2.6% of the votes and there were at least 10 seats that Congress could have won but for the BSP." However, senior leaders put this number in a much higher 18-22 bracket. BSP has made a dent and is likely to harm Congress more in 2008 Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh -- States where it is quietly making formidable progress</b> <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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<b>The two main causes which were pointed out were our miserable performance in Saurashtra and over-dependence on BJP rebels to deliver."</b>
............
<b>Digvijay Singh, who had been sent to central Gujarat, said: "They exploited a Rs 2 coin also. The BJP kept saying that there is a cross on the coin and what else could one expect from a party led by a foreigner. We just could not counter such a misleading campaign."</b>
...
There is a gnawing doubt in a section of the leadership that former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, who had given his tacit support to the Congress and is now facing the BJP's wrath for anti-party activities, might not have played fair with the Congress in several areas. "Who knows about his loyalty? There have been certain reports that he worked against the Congress candidates in some areas," a Congress leader said.
.....
The party has already started feeling the pinch with the arrival of Mayawati's BSP in the political arena of Gujarat. All India Congress Committee general secretary and in-charge of Gujarat BK Hariprasad said: "<b>BSP polled 2.6% of the votes and there were at least 10 seats that Congress could have won but for the BSP." However, senior leaders put this number in a much higher 18-22 bracket. BSP has made a dent and is likely to harm Congress more in 2008 Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh -- States where it is quietly making formidable progress</b> <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->