Congress General Secretary in charge of Assam, Harish Rawat, who lost the Lok Sabha elections to Uttarakhand Bharatiya Janata Party President Ajay Bhatt, resigned on Wednesday after taking responsibility for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. This came the same day Rahul Gandhi announced he would no longer lead the party, and asked its leadership to find a replacement soon.

“We the office bearers of the Congress are responsible for the party’s defeat and organisational failure,” the former Uttarakhand chief minister said on Twitter. “I am responsible for the below-expected result of the party in Assam as in-charge of the state. I accept my shortcoming and resign as general secretary in-charge of state.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party won all the five seats in Uttarakhand in the recently concluded elections. Ajay Bhatt had defeated Rawat by a margin of over three lakh votes in Nainital. In Assam, the Congress managed to win only three of the 14 Lok Sabha seats.

He claimed posts do not hold any importance for him but leaders like Gandhi, who inspired workers, should continue to lead them.

“If the leadership remains in his hand, it is possible that he could lead the party to victory in 2022 assembly elections in states and also in 2024 Lok Sabha elections to defeat the BJP and Narendra Modi,” Rawat said. “That is why all democratic forces and Congress workers want to see Rahul Gandhi as Congress president.”

In his statement, Rahul Gandhi had said as Congress president he was responsible for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. “Accountability is critical for the future growth of our party,” he had said. “It is for this reason that I have resigned as Congress president.”

The flurry of resignations has left the party in turmoil. Several other Congress leaders had also resigned from their posts last week to give party Gandhi a free hand to choose a new team.