LS defeat collective responsibility, not Rahul's alone: Ashok Chavan
Mumbai: The Congress' massive defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was a "collective responsibility" and not that of party chief Rahul Gandhi alone, Maharashtra state unit chief Ashok Chavan said Saturday.
Chavan added that there was no question of accepting Gandhi's resignation as party chief. Chavan himself lost from Nanded Lok Sabha seat to BJP's Pratap Chiklikar.
"The campaign was a collective responsibility. Rahul Gandhi worked hard and led from the front. All senior leaders in states who hold positions in the state units should quit, so that a new team can take over. My colleagues and I are ready to resign due to the poor show of the Congress in Maharashtra," Chavan told reporters here.
The Congress was reduced to just one seat in Maharashtra, with Suresh Dhanorkar winning from Chandrapur. The state has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the highest after Uttar Pradesh's 80.
"There is no dissension in the party. Everyone was taken into confidence while taking decisions regarding the elections. We will act against those responsible for anti- party activities. A report has been sought," Chavan added.
Chavan admitted that the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Agadhi (VBA), which has the AIMIM as a constituent, had cost the Congress-NCP alliance "nine to ten seats".
Chavan called the VBA the "B team of the BJP". Chavan lost in Nanded by 40,000 votes and the VBA candidate there managed to poll around one lakh votes.
Chavan expressed confidence that Assembly polls, scheduled in the state later this year, would be a different story and the Congress would do well.
The party's highest decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee, meanwhile met in Delhi Saturday to review the party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls.
The CWC meeting, chaired by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, is being attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Uttar Pradesh (East) in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and chief ministers of four party-ruled states -- Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh -- and of the Union Territory Puducherry.
There were speculations that Congress president might offer his resignation taking moral responsibility for the party's poor performance in the polls.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
