AHMEDABAD: Days after suffering its biggest loss in the Assembly elections in Gujarat, more than 16 defeated candidates of the state Congress have demanded the resignation of state party chief Jagdish Thakor. In a meeting held for the party’s ‘Pad Yatra’, many senior Congress leaders said they would work for the party only after the resignation of the state president.
The state party leaders will meet Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on Friday and hand him their report listing the reasons for the party’s abysmal show in the Assembly polls. Sources say Thakor will also submit his resignation to the party high command on the same day.
In a meeting called by Thakor on Wednesday, the party leaders expressed their frustration over a series of defeats in the elections. The meeting was called to chalk out the party’s ‘Pada Yatra’, which it plans to launch in February, covering all Assembly seats and talukas. However, the outbursts of some leaders derailed the agenda.
During the meeting, more than 16 MLAs and district and city party presidents expressed their anger against top party functionaries, especially Thakor. Surat Congress chief Hasmukh Desai Told TNIE: “More than 15 former MLAs including Randhnpur’s Raghu Desai demanded the resignation of the state party chief and other senior leaders. They also said that they should take the responsibility for the defeat and resign.” Many leaders alleged that election funds were not distributed equally by the state leadership.