Now, West Bengal Congress chief Somen Mitra submits resignation citing poll debacle

West Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra submitted a letter of resignation from the post taking responsibility for the party's poor show in the Lok Sabha election, according to a press statement released Tuesday.

However, Gaurav Gogoi, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of party affairs in the state, refused to accept Mitra's resignation and requested him to continue in the post, party sources said.

The Congress won two of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, down from four it had won in the 2014 election.

Last week, Rahul Gandhi formally resigned as the Congress president, saying he was responsible for the loss in the Lok Sabha election and that accountability was critical for the party's future growth.

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"On May 24, during a party meeting on Lok Sabha poll results, Mitra had taken full responsibility for the party's dismal performance...and has expressed his desire to quit, but was stopped by party colleagues from doing so.

"But after Rahul Gandhi resigned from his post last week, Mitra too sent his resignation to AICC on Sunday," the press statement said.

According to a source in the party, Gogoi met Mitra on Monday and told him his resignation has not been accepted.

"Gogoi also said that the new national president will reorganise state committees and decision regarding state unit chiefs will be taken subsequently," he added

As a part of the resignation row in the Congress party, former MP from Madhya Pradesh's Guna Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday announced on Twitter that he has quit as All India Congress Committees' General Secretary. He thanked Rahul Gandhi for the opportunity to serve the party.

Even Milind Deora announced that he had quit as the Mumbai chief and was looking forward to play a role in Delhi. For the past few weeks, the drama in Congress has persisted following Rahul Gandhi's resignation as the party president. Congress Committees in several states stated downright opposition to Gandhi's resignation. But after he tweeted a four-page letter saying he quit as the party chief, there have been speculations about the next Congress face and a divide over the matter in the party.

(With PTI inputs) 

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