New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS): After Kapil Sibal's attack on the party high command over the Bihar election results, several Congress leaders have rushed to defend the party and the leadership, with many criticising Sibal for going public.

Haryana Congress leader Capt. Ajay Singh Yadav attacked Sibal and said Sibal could not win his Lok Sabha seat. He also targeted the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Shivanand Tiwari for blaming Rahul Gandhi for the defeat.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, "There are various reasons for electoral losses. But each time the rank and file of the Congress Party have shown undivided and firm belief in the party leadership and that is why we came out of it stronger and united after every crisis".

"There was no need for Kapil Sibal to mention our internal issue in the media, this has hurt the sentiments of the party workers across the country," he added

Gehlot said Congress is the only party that can keep this nation united and take it forward on the path of comprehensive development. We have improved with each and every crisis and also formed the UPA government in 2004 under the able leadership of Sonia Gandhi. We shall overcome this time too.

Party spokesperson Pawan Khera said Rahul Gandhi was fighting for an ideology, which is the centrist.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who was one of the 23 leaders who wrote a letter seeking sweeping reforms in the party, has again questioned the functioning of the party leadership.

Contending that he was "compelled to speak publicly" as there was "no forum in the party to discuss party issues", he said the Congress needs efficient and senior leaders to manage the elections.

His statements, which came in wake of the party's dismal performance in the Bihar Assembly polls as well as the string of bypolls in various states, is being viewed as an apparent attack on team Rahul Gandhi whose handpicked team was involved in the election process.

He also expressed unhappiness that no senior party leader had spoken on the Bihar results.

Only a few Congress leaders have spoken out after the Bihar results in which the party was found to be the weakest link in the opposition combine. It won only 19 seats of the 70 it contested. It also lost the bypolls where it was in direct contest with the BJP.