With the Congress decimated in Delhi for the second consecutive term as votes were counted for the assembly election, Congress leaders Sharmistha Mukherjee and Khushbu Sundar conceded the party's crushing defeat. Sharmistha blamed it on her party's "inordinate delay in decision-making at the top" and several other factors. "We are again decimated in Delhi. Enough of introspection, time for action now. Inordinate delay in decision-making at the top, lack of strategy and unity at state level, demotivated workers, no grassroots connect. All are factors. Being part of the system, I too take my share of responsibility," Sharmistha, daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee, tweeted.
"Wasn't expecting magic in Delhi for Congress. Decimated yet again. Are we doing enough? Are we doing it right? Are we on the right track? No is the big answer. We need to start working now. It's now or never. Ground level, middle level and top level. Things need to be set right," actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar of the Congress tweeted.
The Congress, which ruled the capital for three straight terms under Sheila Dikshit - between 1998 and 2013 - maintained a steady score of zero as Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took a big lead and the BJP upped its tally since 2015.
In 2015, AAP had won 67 of 70 seats, leaving only three for the BJP and none for the Congress. Many Congress leaders admitted that the party "sorely misses Sheila Dikshit", the three-time chief minister who became the face of development in the capital. "We sorely miss Sheila Dikshit's persona. We lost a tall leader and we could not pitch anyone else effectively," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said. "I am happy to the extent that BJP is not winning it. AAP's victory is less disappointing to me. AAP has done some good work in education," he added.
