The Congress not only lost Punjab but was decimated in all states.
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:
Sonia Gandhi says 'ready to make any sacrifice'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.
The Congress Working Committee, during its nearly five-hour meeting, reposed full faith in her leadership, urging her to effect immediate corrective changes to strengthen the party and meet the political challenges ahead of the next round of elections.
BJP's Sorokhaibam Rajen Singh sworn in as protem speaker of Manipur AssemblyNewly elected BJP MLA Sorokhaibam Rajen Singh has been sworn in as the protem speaker of the Manipur legislative assembly in Imphal on Sunday.
Governor La Ganesan administered oath to Singh at the Darbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan.
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: Congress leader
"Every single member of CWC wants Sonia Gandhi to guide party till organisational elections are held," said Congress leader R Surjewala
Sonia Gandhi will stay as party chief. says Congress leader
"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.
Just In | Sonia Gandhi to continue as Congress president, say sources after four-hour meet on election losses
Just In | Congress's top body meeting ends
Congress most credible of national opposition parties; worth reforming, reviving: Shashi TharoorAs Congress' top brass met to deliberate on its recent electoral debacle, its leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday pointed to the party having the largest number of MLAs in the country in the Opposition camp and asserted that it was "worth reforming and reviving".
Taking to Twitter, Mr Tharoor shared a list of the number of MLAs that respective parties in the county have nationwide. According to the list shared by him, the Congress has over 750 MLAs, the most after the BJP which has over 1,400 legislators.
Congress workers gather near AICC headquarterA 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.
The Congress workers from around Delhi, who converged near the party office, were not allowed to enter the AICC headquarter as the traffic was held up and the road outside the party office was barricaded by the police.
AK Antony skipped big meet after testing positive for Covid
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.
Congress Working Committee meets to discuss poll debacleThe 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.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and P Chidambaram were among those attending the meeting.
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
Rahul Gandhi Arrives For The CWC Meet
Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ambika Soni Others Arrive For Meeting
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, other senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Ambika Soni, Salman Khurshid, Ajay Maken, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, P Chidambaram, Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Bhagel and Harish Rawat arrive for the meeting.
Gandhi Family A Thread That Binds Not Just Congress But All Sections, Says Party's Youth Wing Chief
Ahead of a crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV on Sunday said the Gandhi family is the thread that binds together not only the Congress but all sections of the country and it is not dependent on any electoral victory or defeat.
"There have been many conspiracies to erase this heritage, which has sacrificed everything for the integrity of the country, but they have never succeeded," the Youth Congress chief tweeted referring to the legacy of the Gandhi family.
"The Gandhi family is the thread that binds together not only the Congress but all the sections of the country and it is not dependent on any electoral victory or defeat," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
"Rahul Gandhi should become the party president": Rajasthan Chief Minister
"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, Jharkhand Congress passes resolution in support of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi
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.
Congress workers asked to be present outside CWC meeting at AICC
Ahead of the Congress Working Committee meeting, messages have been sent to the Delhi state unit and frontal organisations to be present outside the Congress office with party workers by 3 pm.
"We've 700 MLAs...": Congress Leader After Mamata Banerjee's Criticism
Furious over Mamata Banerjee questioning the credibility of the Congress, the party's West Bengal chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has called the Trinamool Congress chief an agent of the BJP.
Explaining the Congress presence across India, he said that the Congress has 20 per cent of the Opposition's total vote share and asked the Trinamool chief where her party stands in politics. (Read full story
here)
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Anand Sharma, K Suresh and Jairam Ramesh arrive in Janpath for Congress parliamentary strategy group meeting.
The meeting is to chalk out strategy for the second part of Budget session commencing tomorrow, says K Suresh.
In Manipur, BJP Gets Support From JDU, Regional Ally And 2 Independents
Even as the BJP rank in Manipur awaits for the central leadership to take a call on who would be the next Chief Minister, its national ally, the Janata Dal (United) and regional ally the Naga People's Front (NPF) on Saturday announced their support to the party.
Two Independents, including the richest candidate Nishikanta Sapam, have also announced their support to the BJP. (Read full story
here)
Congress Leaders At Sonia Gandhi's Home Ahead Of Big Post-Defeat Meeting
The Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group met today to discuss the strategy for the Budget Session of the Parliament. The meet was held at Sonia Gandhi's residence.
The meet was attended by Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Anand Sharma, K Suresh and Jairam Ramesh.
"The meeting is to chalk out the strategy for the second part of the Budget session of Parliament commencing tomorrow," K Suresh told ANI ahead of the meeting.
Congress Working Committee will meet at 4 pm today
The Congress's top decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee or CWC, will meet at 4 pm today. The party is likely to advance internal elections scheduled in September amid renewed questions about its leadership, sources said on Saturday.
Congress not only lost Punjab but was decimated in all states
The Congress faced a wipe-out in state election results declared on Thursday, losing Punjab, one of the last major states under its control, to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and failing to put up a strong fight in three other states where it had hoped for a comeback - Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.
To read all about yesterday's developments, click
here