Cong leaders blame Maharashtra debacle on lack of coordination

Lack of coordination between the party and the government undermined Congress in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, according to some party leaders.
They said a "complete overhaul" and reshuffle in the state unit appeared imminent as Congress could win only 42 seats out of the 288 seats.
Senior leaders Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan as well as Amit Deshmukh, Latur MLA and son of former Chief Minister the late Vilasrao Deshmukh, met party president Sonia Gandhi separately yesterday to discuss the election results.
Sources said there was tremendous resentment amongst the rank and file over the manner in which the campaign was run.

"There was no coordination between the government and the state unit. Also, the candidates were not provided any assistance," a leader said on the condition of anonymity.
"During the discussions, the Congress president hinted at a complete overhaul of the state unit for boosting the cadres," the leader said.