A few hours before the exit poll prediction that Congress could be on its way out in Punjab, a not-so-beaming Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu arrived at the Congress headquarters to attend a membership drive meeting.
This was for the first time after the February 20 polls that the Congress chief had attended a party meeting. A senior party functionary from Delhi, Manikrao Thakre, was in attendance.
On record, the party claimed that the meeting focused on plans to reach every nook and corner of the state for the membership drive, but insiders say many were seen discussing in a hushed tone, the low morale among party leaders.
As the exit poll results carried out by different agencies crystallised, it seems that the worst fears of the party may be coming true.
If it does not go the 2017 way, the Congress seems to be all set to be dethroned by the AAP in the state. And those who had left the party in recent times have started taking a dig at their former party. Even insiders feel that the party top brass is to blame.
Just about a year ago nobody would have given a chance to the AAP. Despite the anti-incumbency, the disarray in AAP virtually ensured a walkover to the Congress. But the mayhem that the party unleashed over itself in six months completely demotivated the ground worker,” said a senior leader.
The party is still hopeful that the final verdict would be a split one and that it would still hold the key to government formation. Some leaders were even seen to be talking in terms of “horse trading being unleashed by the BJP” and how an internal exercise was being carried out to preempt it.
“Early days yet, we still think it would not be an AAP sweep as is being predicted. It could be a hung assembly and we will still be important in government formation. Wait for March 10 and you will see hectic political activity for government formation,” said a hopeful Congress leader.
With inputs from News18
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