Sonia Gandhi and other top party leaders - including Rahul Gandhi - are holding a key meeting of the Congress Working Committee over the setback the party has faced in five states in this season of assembly elections. The Congress lost Punjab to the AAP after months of infighting - the party managed to get just 18 of 117 assembly seats. Arvind Kejriwal's party won 92 seats.
In Uttar Pradesh, where Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had led the election campaign and attacks on the Yogi Adityanath government, the party won just two of 403 seats. The Congress fared poorly in Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur also.
Sunday's meeting is being attended by Mallikarjun Kharge, Ambika Soni, Salman Khurshid, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among other leaders.
Ahead of the meeting, Rajasthan chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said that "Rahul Gandhi should be the chief". "Rahul Gandhi should become the party chief. For nearly three decades, nobody from the Gandhi family has become prime minister or a minister. It is significant to understand that the Gandhi family is important for Congress' unity," the 70-year-old leader was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Earlier on Sunday, Kharge and other Congress MPs had met Sonia Gandhi to discuss the Parliament agenda as the budget session resumes Monday. The concerns of medical students who have returned from Ukraine, inflation and unemployment will be some of the issues that the party will raise in the Parliament, Kharge, the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, said.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier on Sunday, Kharge and other Congress MPs had met Sonia Gandhi to discuss the Parliament agenda as the budget session resumes Monday. The concerns of medical students who have returned from Ukraine, inflation and unemployment will be some of the issues that the party will raise in the Parliament, Kharge, the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, said.
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had rebuffed media reports that claimed that the Gandhis will offer to quit at the CWC meet.
The Congress on Thursday had said it has accepted the people's verdict in the state elections. In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said: "Humbly accept the people’s verdict. Best wishes to those who have won the mandate. My gratitude to all Congress workers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication. We will learn from this and keep working for the interests of the people of India. (sic)."