Changes to come soon to put in place a 21st-century Congress: Sachin Pilot

New Delhi: Admitting that the party was at crossroads and there were short comings both in the organisation and the UPA government, former Union Minister Sachin Pilot said "changes will happen soon" to put in place a 21st-century Congress.

Refusing to blame Rahul Gandhi for the poll debacle, the young leader said the party Vice President "should not be seen in isolation" and that he would focus on states where Congress had done disastrously in the Lok Sabha elections.

Pilot also said that the statement of senior leader A K Antony on the issue of secularism would be discussed "threadbare" internally.

"You don't take knee jerk reactions when you take decisions. We are at crossroads, let's be clear about it. Congress party is down to 44 MPs in Parliament and this is a huge setback for us and never before it has come to this low level,” said Pilot on Monday

"Obviously there were shortcomings in the organisation and in the (previous) government. That is why the numbers are so poor. We are not living in denial, we have accepted the defeat with humility," Pilot told PTI in an interview.

He was replying to a question about why no changes have been effected in the party despite the debacle.

Underlining that Congress has a "historical political responsibility", he said the party will undergo changes and Sonia Gandhi will effect those changes after having discussions and feedback from the whole country.

"It is not about sitting one day and deciding to overhaul the structure. Changes will happen, accountability will be established, the road ahead will be charted out and the

Congress party will present itself in the 21st century avatar and reach out to regain the faith and confidence," he said.

Asked if there is scope for improvement in Rahul's leadership, he said, "Let us not look at him in isolation because he belongs to the Congress party. I also belong to the

Congress party. The best thing that I can do is win elections....

"Of course, we did not do right things and did not properly communicate but this whole fact finding issue of why we lost etc, this is done at a structured level in the Congress party."

Pilot said Rahul will continue to look after the party and the organisation in states where Congress has done disastrously in the elections.

"That will be the focus of his attention. He will continue to work as hard as before," he said.

Arguing that politics is never static and challenges always come up, Pilot said the party has not lost its courage and the ability to fight.

"Changes will happen soon. You will see the Congress party emerge out of this defeat much stronger, much more robust and taking on our political opponents in the best way we can," he said.

Talking about statements from certain Congress leaders against the party leadership, he said that "anybody who has goodness for the Congress party at the heart will suggest, will point out, will highlight the shortcomings and ask for changes in the party platform.

"If you hold a press conference and you use language to get media coverage, then how much of a well-wisher are you of Congress? I have met the Congress President, Rahul Gandhi and told them exactly what I wanted to say but to make my view go on air, television, on newsprint then that is not good.

"If people are doing that then they are not well-wishers (of the Congress party) at all and you know they are doing no favours to the Congress party. There has to be a discipline in the party...There is no question of not being heard but to make press statements and give bite on television and use the kind of language that is unbecoming of a good politician, there you break the line," he said.

Pilot said that that not all criticism or suggestion can be termed as that.

"Let's qualify the word 'dissent'. It means that you are not happy with a set up and you want it out. That is dissent but raising the voice against certain aspects of our party, certain shortcomings, it is not dissent. It is discussion and it will be awful to have just one way of thinking in the party, then you will lose your agility to be a political party."

He spoke about collective responsibility, saying the party had lost three elections in a row -? 1996, 1998, 1999.

"Subsequently what happened? Mrs Gandhi became the Congress President and for the first time in 30-odd years, Congress won two consecutive elections and the second one with greater majority than the first one. So while we take collective responsibility and credit for those two wins, let's also take collective responsibility for losing this election," he said.