Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has expressed his disappointment over the party’s dismal performance in the Madhya Pradesh elections to Kamal Nath and also indicated that a large section of party leaders want him to step down as the chief of the MP unit after the poor showing, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

According to the leaders familiar with the development, Nath met Kharge and senior party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi late on Tuesday amid speculation that he will step down as the president of the Congress’s MP unit.

Also Read: Kamal Nath concedes defeat in Madhya Pradesh, says ‘will analyze the loopholes’

A senior Congress leader said that during the meeting, Kharge conveyed to Nath that there is a growing consensus in the party that the 66-year-old should no longer helm the MP unit. “It is to be seen whether he resigns now or he is given some time. But the High Command has made it clear that he has to go,” said the leader, requesting anonymity.

The Congress’s top leadership was confident of forming the government in Madhya Pradesh but the party could only win 66 of the state’s 230 seats, its worst performance in a decade. The BJP retained power with a thumping majority, winning 163 seats. A senior party leader said that Nath had to explain to the party brass why they suffered such an emphatic defeat. Many central and state leaders have zeroed in on a key reason behind the drubbing — a caustic campaign that spent too much time embroiled in controversy over shrill personal comments. “The Congress announced multiple schemes, like those for women and free education for students, which could have benefitted us if we had just spoken about them. Instead, it seemed to us, that Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, who ran the show, focused on a negative campaign,” said a senior Congress leader, requesting anonymity.

Also Read: MP Congress leaders blame Kamal Nath for party’s loss in assembly polls

A senior Congress leader said that there has to be some accountability in Madhya Pradesh after the poll verdict while another argued that the party needs to promote a young leadership in the state just as it did in Telangana. Nath has not yet offered his resignation.