Congress Losing Elections Due to Organisational Weakness and Factionalism, Says Udit Raj

New Delhi:
After senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh openly flagged internal shortcomings, former MP and Congress leader Udit Raj has also acknowledged serious organisational weaknesses within the party, admitting that internal factionalism has repeatedly hurt its electoral prospects.

Reacting to Digvijaya Singh’s remarks, Udit Raj said that had the party been organisationally strong, it would not have faced repeated defeats in elections. “There is organisational weakness in the party, and there is no doubt about it,” he stated. He further pointed out that excessive factionalism has paralysed decision-making at the grassroots level.

Highlighting the severity of the problem, Udit Raj said that in many districts, district presidents could not be appointed for as long as 10 years because rival groups within the party continued to block each other’s choices. “Whenever one group proposed a name, another or a third group would oppose it,” he explained.

He stressed that introspection should be seen as a strength rather than a sign of division. “Self-reflection is a healthy democratic practice. I don’t know why people here consider introspection as opposition or interpret it as a split within the party,” he said. According to him, internal debate has always been part of the Congress tradition. “Discussion and self-assessment are in our DNA. We are currently working on correcting our shortcomings,” he added.

Earlier, Digvijaya Singh had raised similar concerns, including during a recent Congress Working Committee meeting, where he emphasised the urgent need to strengthen the party organisation.

On other political issues, Udit Raj also commented on the recent bulldozer action in Karnataka, stating that removing encroachments from government land is a routine administrative exercise. However, he clarified that targeting bulldozer action based on caste or religion is a different and unacceptable matter. “In Karnataka, bulldozers were used to reclaim government property,” he said.

Responding to Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty’s remarks on Tamil Nadu’s debt situation, Udit Raj defended the state’s economic performance. He said Tamil Nadu has seen significant growth in investment, manufacturing, and the services sector. “If there is debt, there is also rising income and job creation on the other side. The state’s GDP and manufacturing output are very high,” he noted.

Udit Raj’s remarks add to a growing chorus within the Congress calling for serious organisational reforms and internal unity as the party seeks to regain lost political ground.