'Accountability of poll results on state heads'

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday told senior leaders in charge of states that they would be held accountable for future election results as he laid out the contours of a five-year plan to make the party "the first choice of the people", and praised the party's hard work in the Delhi election (where it won no seats) as he tried to steer a new course for the party after a series of electoral setbacks.

- Saubhadra Chatterji

He also alleged that there was "manipulation" in the electoral rolls in which Congress' supporters names are allegedly deleted-terming it a "new challenge". And he criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the treatment of Indians being deported and said, "Despite Modi's visit, America is sending back Indian citizens [undocumented immigrants] handcuffed as before. Vegetarian passengers were given non-vegetarian food.

Our government failed to protest this insult properly." Addressing a meeting of the party's general secretaries and those in charge of states on Wednesday, Kharge said, "Our effort for the next five years should be to try to emerge as the main opposition by continuously fighting and promoting mass movements on public issues.

Only then will we become the first choice of the people." Kharge was also explicit on the task ahead for general secretaries and the state in-charges.