Congress will revive from Vidarbha in Maharasthra polls: Ashok Gehlot

NAGPUR: Despite fairing badly in Lok Sabha polls, the Congress will revive itself from Maharashtra's Vidarbha region which has stood behind the party even in hours of crises earlier, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said today.

"Those were the days when the then Congress stalwart Indira Gandhi preferred Vidarbha to revive the party and succeeded with the help of party leaders like Vasant Sathe and others. The situation is identical (now), when party will get an opportunity to relaunch itself from Vidarbha during the Maharashtra Assembly polls," Gehlot said.

The senior Congress leader, who has been made party coordinator for poll campaign in Vidarbha region, has been mainly talking to Congress rebels and trying to pacify them not to contest against the party's official candidates.

The breaking of the pre-poll alliance with NCP was in the larger interest of Congress and rather it will help the party to strengthen itself, he said.

"The Congress had made a blunder in Uttar Pradesh long time back when it agreed for less seats and became junior partner of BSP. The party was still suffering in UP," he said.

Admitting an initial setback after the Lok Sabha polls, Gehlot said now the Congress rank and file was solidly behind the party leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Brushing aside the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of 'Congress free India', he said Congress was deep in the soul and hearts of people of all castes, creed and religions in each and every region of the country.

One Lok Sabha poll can't just wipe out the party, he asserted.