AK Antony report 'may be' taken up after polls

The Congress seems to be in no hurry to discuss the report of the AK Antony panel, which went into the reasons behind the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.

New Delhi: The Congress seems to be in no hurry to discuss the report of the AK Antony panel, which went into the reasons behind the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.

This became clear with party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed saying it is likely be taken up only after the upcoming Assembly elections, a good two months after it was submitted.

Stating that party leaders would be involved in campaigning in Haryana and Maharashtra, Ahmed said the report, which was submitted to Congress President Sonia Gandhi on August 14, "may be" discussed after the Assembly elections.

"It depends on the decision of the Congress President but we will certainly discuss the report," he said assuring that information will be given when the report is taken up.

Elections in both the states are slated for October 15.

Incidentally, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma had said last month that the Working Committee (CWC) is likely to "soon" take up Antony report. He had not given any time frame.

The panel comprising Antony, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, secretary RC Khuntia and Avinash Pandey was set up a fortnight after the general election results were declared on 16 May.

The outcome came as a huge shock for Congress, whose presence in Lok Sabha was reduced to 44 MPs, a massive drop from the 206 seats it had won in 2009.

Sources have maintained that the report has not faulted party vice president Rahul Gandhi's leadership for the debacle and has instead identified price rise, loopholes in Congress' communication strategy and the media's focus on Narendra Modi as the main factors behind the drubbing.

 

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