Sonia rules out damage to UPA due to poll verdicts

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today ruled out any "damage" to the UPA government in the wake of electoral outcomes in which, she said, wrong choice of candidates and weak organisation in UP played a role in the party's dismal performance.

She said price rise could have been a factor for the party's poor performance in the elections and declared that the Congress has to "pull up its socks" for the coming battles in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.

Appearing before the media a day after the party's dismal showing in assembly elections to UP, Punjab and Goa, Gandhi said a meeting of all the leaders, including from the states, will be called to analyse the reasons.

"Every election is a lesson for us, whether we win or lose, there is a lesson for us," Gandhi said.

Asked about the reasons that could have impacted the party's performance, she said in UP, weak organisational structure and wrong choice of candidates could have been the factors.

Queried whether there was lack of leadership, she responded, "I would say rather than lack of leadership, [there are] too many leaders... That is our problem."

Gandhi acknowledged inflation could have been factor for Congress' poor performance.