NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday came down heavily on senior leaders for the heavy defeat faced by the party in assembly elections in three states. Rahul lashed out at the senior leaders during the Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi. Rahul said that the senior leaders had misled the party by claiming that victory in the assembly elections was certain.

Rahul Gandhi's criticism is directed at senior leaders and former chief ministers Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Bagel and Kamal Nath. According to sources, Rahul Gandhi asked on what basis had the senior leaders expressed their confidence to win the assembly polls without being able to foresee people's verdicts in their respective states.

Kamal Nath and his team had claimed that there was strong anti-government sentiment in Madhya Pradesh. However, when the election results were announced, the BJP emerged victorious with a two-thirds majority. Ashok Gehlot had also expressed confidence that there was no anti-government sentiment in Rajasthan and that he would retain power in the state.

Digvijaya Singh retorted that the AICC leadership also played a role in the party's defeat in the Hindi heartland. He said that not allying with the Samajwadi Party in Madhya Pradesh was a lapse on the part of the party leadership. Digvijaya Singh, who pointed out that Kamal Nath's stand on the matter was not the right one, added that the national leadership should have implemented the alliance.