Sonia Gandhi will stay as the Congress chief, said the party after a more than four-hour long meeting over the party's huge defeat in the state polls. This comes as a massive rout in the five states revived searing criticism of the Gandhi family and demands for a complete overhaul and leadership change.
"Congress interim president Sonia will lead us and will take future steps. We all have faith in her leadership," said Mallikarjun Kharge after the party's working committee meeting.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, party's leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and P Chidambaram were among those who attended the Congress Working Committee.
All India Congress Committee Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao said that a detailed discussion was held about the state elections at the meeting.
The Congress lost Punjab to the Aam Aadmi Party, could not wrest Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur from the BJP and the party's tally in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh fell to its lowest.
Here are the highlights on assembly election-related developments:
Days after its drubbing in five states, the Congress' top decision-making body on Sunday unanimously decided that party president Sonia Gandhi should continue till organisational polls after she expressed readiness to "make any and every sacrifice" in the party's interest.
Newly elected BJP MLA Sorokhaibam Rajen Singh has been sworn in as the protem speaker of the Manipur legislative assembly in Imphal on Sunday.
Notably, Mr Rajen Singh won the recent Assembly elections by a margin of 400 votes.
"Every single member of CWC wants Sonia Gandhi to guide party till organisational elections are held," said Congress leader R Surjewala
"Congress interim president Sonia will lead us and will take future steps. We all have faith in her leadership," said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge after the party's working committee meeting.
A number of Congress workers gathered in support of former party chief Rahul Gandhi near the AICC headquarter in Delhi ahead of a crucial meeting of the party's working committee where its electoral debacle in the recent assembly polls would be discussed.
Former defence minister AK Antony skipped the Congress's top body meet today after testing positive for Covid. "He is extremely disappointed to not being able to attend today's CWC meeting," tweeted his son Anil K Antony.
The Congress Working Committee is meeting on Sunday to discuss the outcome of the assembly elections in five states as the opposition party reels from the latest electoral debacle.
The meeting of the party's highest decision-making body is likely to witness some fireworks as the G-23 dissident leaders, who have questioned the leadership and pressed for organisation overhaul, have indicated that the issue of internal polls could be raised again.
Congress Working Committee meeting begins. The meeting is being chaired by party's interim president Sonia Gandhi pic.twitter.com/czj37hmjKX
- ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2022
"Rahul Gandhi should become the party president. For the last three decades, nobody from the Gandhi family became a PM or a minister. It is significant to understand that the Gandhi family is important for Congress' unity," said Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot
Ahead of Congress's big meet today, Jharkhand Congress has passed a resolution in support of party chief Sonia Gandhi and his son and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.
#Watch | Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal's Massive Roadshow After Punjab Sweep
- NDTV (@ndtv) March 13, 2022
NDTV's Mohammad Ghazali reports
Read more: https://t.co/w48q0BjgGi pic.twitter.com/BQ3NLVlY32
Mother Of AAP MLA Labh Singh Ugoke Who Defeated Punjab Chief Minister Still Works As SweeperThe mother of Aam Admi Party MLA Labh Singh Ugoke, Baldev Kaur, on Saturday continued working as a sweeper in the government school, even after her son won the 2022 Assembly elections in Punjab.
After the vote victory in UP, BJP government comes out with its gift card immediately! It at once unmasks itself by proposing to slash the interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund deposits to a four- decade low nadir. (1/3)
- Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 13, 2022
Punjab CM designate @BhagwantMann recieves AAP National Convenor @ArvindKejriwal at Amritsar Airport ✈️
- AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 13, 2022
Set to hold a MASSIVE Roadshow celebrating the EMPHATIC Win! pic.twitter.com/ZaKnYLxPr3
#TheBigFight | "People have voted us to power again for change, for employment. We are doing everything to provide jobs to our youth": Dr Priyanka Maurya BJP leader, on #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/9S0i8YjTdO
- NDTV (@ndtv) March 12, 2022
Punjab | Cutouts and posters of CM-designate Bhagwant Mann & AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal seen on the roads & lanes of Amritsar ahead of their roadshow & visit to temples later today pic.twitter.com/k3oW93QnXW
- ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2022
We will take the blessings of Guru Sahib to fulfill the promises we have made to the people of Punjab. Our national convenor Arvind Kejriwal is coming to Amritsar (for roadshow) today to thank the people of the State: Punjab CM designate Bhagwant Mann, at Sangrur pic.twitter.com/4e8uh2c6b8
- ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2022
