Dikshit sets up 5-member panel to review Cong rout

New Delhi: Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Sheila Dikshit has constituted a five-member committee, consisting of former MP Parvez Hashmi; former city ministers Dr AK Walia and Dr Yoganand Shastri; party’s national spokesperson Pawan Khera; and former legislator Jaikishan, to enquire in depth the reasons behind the party’s defeat in the 17th Lok Sabha elections in Delhi.

The committee will probe into the reasons for the party’s debacle and the steps which should be urgently taken to strengthen the organisation to ensure its victory in the 2020 Assembly elections. The committee has been asked to submit its report to the DPCC president within 10 days.

In the Lok Sabha polls, Congress was unable to even open its account in Delhi whereas BJP won all the seven seats with heavy margins.

BJP sitting MP Parvesh Verma secured the highest number of votes and defeated his nearest rival, Congress candidate and former MP Mahabal Mishra, by a record margin of 5.78 lakh votes in West Delhi seat.

Ms Dikshit was defeated by Delhi BJP chief and sitting MP Manoj Tiwari by a margin of about 3.66 lakh votes.

The party was able to secure second position in five Lok Sabha seats. The party was, however, reduced to third slot in Northwest Delhi and South Delhi, where AAP candidates secured second position.

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