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New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Wednesday said he was pained at the current situation of the party but expressed hope that it will bounce back.

The former union minister asserted that he has deep attachment with the party and called for an analysis of why footprint of the party has shrunk. “While on one hand, there is this self-confidence and attachment with the party, on the other hand, there is this deep concern and pain that such a grand party is going through such a difficult situation. And that is why, we believe that to get out of this situation, we need to analyse that why did we get to this stage (hum yahan pahunche toh kyun pahunche)? What were the reasons? What changes have come in the country, in the mindset of this country due to which our footprint has shrunk to so low?” Khurshid said.

“But, there is this faith that we will bounce back. But to bounce back, the party will have to take steps. The time is very limited. Some (steps) we have taken, we need to take some more,” he added.

Khurshid’s remarks came after a controversy erupted over his comments where he had termed Rahul Gandhi’s resignation from the post of party president as “walking away” following the defeat.

Maintaining that Rahul remains the main leader despite his resignation from the party’s top post, he said, “If there is a delay in it (taking steps), I said that is because our leader Rahul Gandhi jee left us and that means, he was our president, we wanted and still want him to be president. Several people requested him to continue. But this was his thought that he will not be the president.”

The Congress leader said if Rahul had stayed around, the party would have understood better the causes of defeat and be better prepared to fight the battles in coming times.

“This is perhaps the only time in history that a major defeat has not caused the party to lose confidence in their leader. If he had stayed and was around, we would’ve understood better the causes of our defeat and be better prepared to fight the battles in coming times,” said Khurshid.

The Congress leader also expressed hope about what he said was a turnaround in the public sentiment regarding economic situation, law and order, the foreign policy, security which will help the party.

Khurshid said some people in the party are true “Congressi” and that they won’t leave the party whatsoever.

“The kind of situation is prevailing in the nation and the kind of situation our party is in following the Lok Sabha elections… in these circumstances, some of us in Congress won’t quit, we are an integral part of the Congress party (jee jaan se Congressi hain), he told reporters here.

“No matter what happens we won’t leave the party. We aren’t like those who got everything from the party and when the chips were down, things were difficult they left the party and walked away,” he added.

Also read: How Congress leader Salman Khurshid had to ‘pay a price’ for a hug from Vajpayee

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