The Congress' massive defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was a "collective responsibility" and not that of party chief Rahul Gandhi alone, Maharashtra state unit chief Ashok Chavan said Saturday. Chavan added that there was no question of accepting Gandhi's resignation as party chief. Chavan himself lost from Nanded Lok Sabha seat to BJP's Pratap Chiklikar.

"The campaign was a collective responsibility. Rahul Gandhi worked hard and led from the front. All senior leaders in states who hold positions in the state units should quit, so that a new team can take over. My colleagues and I are ready to resign due to the poor show of the Congress in Maharashtra," Chavan told reporters here. The Congress was reduced to just one seat in Maharashtra, with Suresh Dhanorkar winning from Chandrapur. The state has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the highest after Uttar Pradesh's 80.