Congress faced with tough time, says Janardan Dwivedi

Admitting that some "mistakes" might have been committed by Congress and UPA government due to "compulsion of coalition", senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi today said the party was facing "tough time".

"Some mistakes might have been committed by the party and the party-led UPA government," Dwivedi said and blamed it on "compulsion of coalition."

Addressing a press conference here, the party general secretary also admitted that it was a "tough time" when asked whether he accepts that this is a difficult election for Congress this time.

"Everybody commits mistake. Some mistakes would have been committed by us. May be the organisation did not function quite effectively... But Congress has always learnt from its mistakes... Every election is a challenge and this is a difficult time (Muskhil Daur)..." Dwivedi said when reporters asked about the party's loss in the recent Assembly polls.

The party will also have to introspect and will have to give importance to its workers appreciating their devotion and loyalty and mark those who are opportunist.

"Some people join the organisation and get promoted keeping in mind some temporary gains. Such people continue as long as they get benefits but leave the party after that," Dwivedi said.

The Congress leader has earlier also flagged these concerns, which were interpreted by the media as a section in Congress particularly the old guards not feeling comfortable.

Asked about the functioning of the UPA government and surfacing of various corruption scandals during the period, Dwivedi said,"there is no doubt that when an alliance government has to be run, it has certain limitations."

"The biggest limitation is that which person of an alliance partner will become minister has to be decided by that party and when there is a vacancy, only that party can decide who will fill that."

He at the same time said no coalition government at the Centre launched so many programmes especially right based schemes for the country as the UPA did.

"If we have committed mistakes, we are rectifying it... We took action against corruption," the Congress leader said.