Three senior Congress leaders offer to resign after poll debacle

In the wake of the Lok Sabha poll debacle, three senior Congress leaders - Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Raj Babbar, President of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, Niranjan Patnaik and Karnataka Congress Campaign Committee President, HK Patil have offered to resign from their respective party posts.

As per sources, all the three leaders have offered their resignation to the party president Rahul Gandhi on Friday.

As per sources, taking moral responsibility of the Congress defeat in Uttar Pradesh, Raj Babbar who lost election from Fatehpur Sikri, has offered his resignation to the party president. Some media reports, quoting Babbar claimed that he did not even offer to resign.

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP bagged 63 seats out of 80. Congress president Rahul Gandhi lost his Amethi seat to the BJP candidate Smriti Irani.

In 2014 elections, BJP had won 71 seats and its ally Apna Dal (S) two, while the SP had bagged five seats and the Congress got just two seats. In this election, the Congress had hoped to increase its tally.

Apart from Raj Babbar, President of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, Niranjan Patnaik has also offered his resignation.

According to media reports, Patnaik, who has been at loggerhead with his party colleagues for quite some time, has offered his resignation on Friday.

“I too had contested the election, party had given me a responsibility, I take the moral responsibility for this debacle and relinquish this job. I have communicated it to the AICC President,” said Niranjan Patnaik talking to media.

Similarly, Karnataka Congress Campaign Committee President, HK Patil has also offered his resignation after poor performance of the party.

Claiming responsibility for the poll debacle in a state where Congress shares power with JD(S), Patil said that the party should do an introspection.

“It is time for all of us to introspect. I feel it my moral duty to own up the responsibility, hence, I submit my resignation from the post,” said Patil talking to the media.

Yogendra Mishra, president of District Congress Committee Amethi has resigned from his post. Taking moral responsibility, Mishra has shot off his resignation letter to Rahul Gandhi in which he took responsibility for the poll defeat.