Bengal Cong chief submits resignation letter taking responsibility for Lok Sabha poll debacle

West Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra submitted a letter of resignation from the post taking responsibility for the party's poor show in the Lok Sabha election, sources said on July 9.

However, Gaurav Gogoi, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of party affairs in the state, refused to accept Mitra's resignation and requested him to continue in the post, they said.

The Congress won two of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, down from four it had won in the 2014 election.

Last week, Rahul Gandhi formally resigned as the Congress president, saying he was responsible for the loss in the Lok Sabha election and that accountability was critical for the party's future growth.