Rahul Gandhi announced last week he wanted to quit from the post of Congress president.
Congress parliamentarians met this morning to elect leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party or CPP exactly a week after party chief Rahul Gandhi told the party's top decision making, Congress Working Committee, that he would like to resign over the election debacle. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has been elected as the CPP chief.
This would not just be the first meeting of the CPP after the national elections but also the first meeting of Rahul Gandhi with party leaders after he announced his decision to quit as party chief last Saturday.
The Congress won just 52 of 542 parliamentary seats this time, its second worst performance since 2014 election. The party is three members short of the total that would qualify it for the post of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
Here are the Highlights of Congress Parliamentary Party meeting
"Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi will consult senior leaders and nominate the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. We will claim the Leader of Opposition and Dy Speaker posts," Congress's K Suresh told news agency ANI
Congratulations To Sonia Gandhi, Tweets Son Rahul
Sonia Gandhi's name was proposed by former prime minister Manmohan Singh and seconded by Jharkhand MP Jothimani S and Kerala MP K Sudhakaran, news agency PTI reported.
We Thank 12 Crore Voters For Reposing Faith In Us, Says Sonia Gandhi Here are the highlights of Sonia Gandhi's speech at CPP meet:
- "I thank the 12.3 crore voters and tell them their vote will be protected for democratic institutions"
- "Thank Rahul Gandhi for toiling night and day and taking on the Modi government"
- "Raising concerns about all sections of society and helped the party win in Mp Chattisgarh and Rajasthan"
- "The CWC met to deliberate must take steps"
- "Even with small numbers we made our presence felt and cooperated with the government"
- "This time too we will support progressive inclusive development"
- "We will oppose divisive measures"
- "Must assure the people of India of an alert and conscious opposition"
- "People of India expect us to earn their mandate and we must work toward it"
- "There is a huge challenge that lies ahead"
Each One of You Is Fighting For The Constitution, Says Rahul Gandhi
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said at the CPP meet today that the party has "52 lawmakers" and it will fight the BJP everyday.
Here are the pointers of his speech at the meeting.
- "We have 52 lawmakers, we will fight the BJP every single every day."
- "You have to understand who you are first. You are fighting for every single Indian," he told party lawmakers
- "Hatred cowardice and anger is fighting against you," Mr Gandhi said
- "BJP says we want a congress freedom because they have no opposition and do this with love and compassion," he added
- "You have to be more aggressive," he told Congress lawmakers
- "I would be happy if the old faces were here and they are ideologically with us," he stressed
- "We will try and rejuvenate ourselves and we can do it," Mr Gandhi said
All 52 Lok Sabha MPs of the Congress are present at the meeting, besides its members in the Rajya Sabha, news agency PTI reported quoting sources.
Sonia Gandhi will now elect the leader of Congress in parliament.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has been elected as the chief of CPP.
Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi Arrive For CPP Meet
Rahul Gandhi Leaves For CPP Meet
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will be elected as the chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party as the newly elected lawmakers meet this morning, party sources have said. Ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will propose his name.
The Congress has last faced such a crisis back in 1999, when Sonia Gandhi, just months after being named party president, quit over three senior leaders, Sharad Pawar, PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar objecting to her leadership on account of her foreign origin.
After protests by Congress workers across the country, Sonia Gandhi took back her resignation and the party expelled the three dissidents.
Rahul Gandhi has remained firm on his decision to quit as Congress president and has refused to meet party leaders who have flocked to his home in Delhi.