UP poll debacle: Cong panel recommends deeper connect

The report of the three-member committee, headed by Defence Minister AK Antony, was submitted to Congress President Sonia Gandhi a few days back, which carried five pages of recommendations to revive Congress and pin-pointed the reasons for party's poor poll performance in the Assembly elections in five states including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa, where the party lost.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde were other members of the committee that reviewed the Congress' poor showing in these states and also recommended the corrective measures.

Amid growing complaints from various state units of the party that Chief Ministers in the Congress-ruled states and CLP leaders where the party is in opposition are not connecting with the workers, the committee has impressed upon the need for them to be in constant touch with party workers.

It said tickets should not be given to somebody because he is the kin of some leader in the party, which, it felt, was the reason for the party's defeat in many constituencies. The report has also pointed out that some sort of disconnect between senior leaders and workers in UP was also a factor for the party's poor showing.

The report has called for strict compliance of discipline norms in the wake of internal dissension in UP spoiling the party's chances in many states as some senior leaders did not see eye to eye with each other. (MORE)