Heads expected to roll in Congress after election rout

New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) Heads are expected to roll in the Congress following the party's dismal performance in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections where it won just 52 seats, just 8 more than what it managed in 2014.

A party source told IANS: "Many General Secretaries and state unit chiefs could face the heat as the party will fix responsibility for its poor performance."

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday authorised Rahul Gandhi -- whose offer to step down as the Congress President was unanimously rejected by CWC members -- to make a complete overhaul and detailed restructuring of the party at every level.

According to the source, the Congress President was quite forthright at the CWC meeting, not sparing even some senior leaders of the party.

Gandhi is believed to have said that Congress Chief Ministers Ashok Gehlot and Kamal Nath were eager to give ticket to their sons although the party President was not very keen on the idea as he felt that they had a bigger role to play in campaigning.

While Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath successfully contested from his father's stronghold Chhindwara, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot tasted defeat in Jodhpur.

The source said that Gandhi also referred to veteran Congressman and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram for pushing for a Lok Sabha ticket for his son Karti Chidambaram from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu.

Karti Chidambaram is one of the eight Congress candidates who emerged victorious in Tamil Nadu.

The Congress President reportedly told the CWC that these senior leaders had put the interests of their sons before the interests of the party.

Gandhi is learnt to have said that Chidambaram was even willing to walk out of the party if his son was denied a Lok Sabha ticket.

However, when Gandhi offered to step down as the Congress President on Saturday, Chidambaram got emotional and broke down in front of the CWC members.

The source said that Chidambaram reportedly told Gandhi that 12 crore people had voted for the party and that "south India believes in you. How can you say you don't want to remain President?".