Sonia Gandhi to remain Congress president, decide party leaders after 4-hour meet on polls debacle

She (Sonia Gandhi) continues to be the president of the party. Detailed discussion held about the 5 states elections. We discussed how to take things forward and how we prepare for the forthcoming elections: AICC Goa in-charge, Dinesh Gundu Rao after the party's CWC meeting

Congress Working Committee on Sunday termed the party's abysmal performance in the recently held Assembly polls in five states a "cause of serious concern" and unanimously reaffirmed that the party will contest the forthcoming elections including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and requested her to lead from the front. The highest decision-making body of Congress met this evening and the meeting lasted for around five hours.

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and five other senior Congress leaders skipped the party's Working Committee meeting on Sunday. Former defence minister AK Antony skipped the meeting as he tested positive for COVID-19 today.

Congress interim president Sonia will lead us & will take future steps. We all have faith in her leadership: Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge after the party's working committee meeting

Congress party will be fully prepared to face the electoral challenges in the forthcoming elections including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. CWC unanimously reaffirmed its faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and requested her to lead from the front: Congress

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in her speech said that if the party feels we all three (herself, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) are ready to resign, but CWC unanimously rejected it. 

Congress' interim chief Sonia Gandhi offered to "step back" from her role as the Congress Working Committee met on Sunday for an over five-hour-long discussion on the fall-out of the recent Assembly polls but the party's highest decision authority did not accept it. Sources said she indicated that she may step back if the CWC wants but the CWC did not endorse it. The CWC reposed faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and every single member said that she should continue till organisational elections.

Days after its election debacle in five states, the Congress' top decision-making body on Sunday brainstormed over the way forward "and "unanimously reaffirmed'' faith in the leadership of party President Sonia Gandhi. Amid calls for large-scale reforms to revive the party's dwindling electoral fortunes, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said after the over four-hour meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) that the party president will immediately take up corrective measures to revamp and re-strengthen organisation.

Every Cong worker wants Rahul Gandhi to lead party; organisational polls are on, next president will be decided through that: Surjewala. 

Congress party will be fully prepared to face the electoral challenges in the forthcoming elections including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. CWC unanimously reaffirmed its faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and requested her to lead from the front: Congress

The chorus for making Rahul Gandhi Congress president again grew louder on Sunday as several leaders and workers voiced support for him to take on the mantle of party chief.

Ahead of a crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said no one was taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Gandhi does and was fighting resolutely.

The freedom which was achieved together with the country, we will save that freedom together with the country, says Congress on Twitter.

Congress Working Committee meeting underway. The meeting is being chaired by party's interim president Sonia Gandhi.

Gandhi family a thread that binds together not only Congress but all sections of the country, says Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, other senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Ambika Soni, Salman Khurshid, Ajay Maken, Priyanka Gandhi, P Chidambaram, Ashok Gehlot, Adhirajan Chaudhary, Jitendra Bhawar Singh, Dr. Ajoy Kumar, Digvijay Singh, Anand Sharma, Bhupesh Bhagel, Tariq Anwar and Harish Rawat arrive for the meeting.

Leaders who are going to attend Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting today are not allowed to carry smartphones, say reports. 

Speaking exclusively to India TV, Ashok Gehlot said that ED, CBI other institutions are under pressure adding the current government is doing politics of religion, polarisation which is easy.

Ahead of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting today, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that Rahul Gandhi should now take charge of the Congress party adding the party is losing because of polarisation.

"Media and other institutions are under pressure... it's the media which is blaming the Gandhis," Gehlot said in an exclusive conversation with India TV.

Sources say that the dissident group within the party, G23, had suggested Mukul Wasnik for the post of president of the party, which was not accepted.

"G23, which consists of Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, had suggested Mukul Wasnik's name for the post of president of the party. But it was not accepted," according to sources.

The source, who is a part of G23, also said that the new party president should lead the party in the manner as was done by Sonia Gandhi in early 2000.

After the drubbing in the five Assembly elections, protests have commenced from the Congressmen against the national leadership of the party. The ire is mostly directed against General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal, who is from Kerala. Flex boards came up on Sunday morning at many parts of Kozhikode in North Kerala against K.C. Venugopal making him accountable for the drubbing the party has received in the five states. The flex read, "K.C. resign from the AICC post or party leadership should kick him out".

The Congress lost Punjab, a state under its control, to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and could not put up a fight in three other states where it was hoping to form the government -- Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

The meeting was held a day after party's drubbing in the Assembly elections held in five states. The Group-23 (G-23) leaders who met at Ghulam Nabi Azad's residence included Senior Congress leaders Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari, Anand Sharma and Akhilesh Prasad Singh while some leaders joined virtually.

There is simmering tension within the Congress after the poll debacle, and the G-23 leaders are reportedly miffed with the style of functioning of the party leadership.

The G23 leaders in the meeting on Friday discussed the issue that there should be no more delay in electing the new president of the party and an AICC session should be called in to discuss the poll debacle, sources said. Sources also said that it is necessary to fix the accountability for the poll debacle and urgent changes are required in the composition of the CWC. Sources said that the organisational polls were also discussed in the meeting at Azad's residence.

Ahead of the CWC meet today, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Anand Sharma, K Suresh & Jairam Ramesh are gathered at 10, Janpath, for Congress parliamentary strategy group meeting, to chalk out strategy for second part of Budget session of Parliament commencing tomorrow.