A street stall selling Congress memorabilia outside the deserted Congress headquarters, in New Delhi, on March 10, 2022. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo
Thiruvananthapuram, March 12 (PTI) Standing solidly behind the Congress' embattled central leadership, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Saturday criticised those who targeted the high command over the drubbing of the party in the assembly polls in five states and invoked the collective accountability principle.
The state Congress sprung to shield party chief Sonia Gandhi, former president Rahul Gandhi and general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi and K C Venugopal from being targeted for the party's defeat in politically-crucial Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, saying everyone has a collective responsibility for successes and failures.
Amid simmering discontent in the party and its reflection through media and various social media platforms targeting the central leadership, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran said the tendency to put the responsibility of the poll debacle on the shoulders of some was "unacceptable".
"Leaders, including Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka and Venugopal, had worked tirelessly for the victory of the Congress in the five state elections. The tendency to put responsibility for the failures on the shoulders of some is unacceptable. Everyone has a collective responsibility for successes and failures", the KPCC chief said in a statement here.
His statement came in the wake of a social media campaign allegedly by the Congress workers in Kerala targeting the Gandhi family and a poster campaign against Venugopal in his home turf Kannur over the party's electoral failure in five states.
"In Kerala, after the elections in five states, it has been noticed that Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka and Venugopal are being targeted on social media. This is being monitored by the KPCC," Sudhakaran said and warned disciplinary action against those workers engaged in such activities.
Meanwhile, senior party leader Ramesh Chennithala said the party's dismal show in the assembly polls were "shocking". Chennithala, however, said the party would introspect the drubbing in the election and overcome the present situation.
Echoing the words of Rahul Gandhi, the Kerala leader said the Congress will learn from the defeats and strengthen its fight against communal politics.
The Kerala leaders' statement also came after some members of the 'Group of 23' or G-23 expressed dismay at the Congress leadership for not taking any corrective steps to revive the party.
The Congress drew a blank in the assembly polls losing all the five states, including Punjab to the AAP.
