Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Congress party, speaks to Sonia Gandhi during a press conference at the party's headquarters in New Delhi.
Reuters Photo
New Delhi: Congress will hold meetings of its Working Committee on Saturday to analyse the Lok Sabha election results, with the Parliamentary Party choosing its chairperson.
Sources said existing Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi is likely to be re-elected in the meeting to be attended by Rajya Sabha MPs and newly-elected Lok Sabha MPs, despite the 76-year-old leader being said not to be keen on continuing in the post.
Sonia, who was elected to Rajya Sabha earlier this year, has quit electoral politics and vacated the Raebareli seat for her son Rahul Gandhi, who won from the constituency by 3.90 lakh votes. Sources said the party's unanimous view is that Sonia should continue as the chairperson of the Parliamentary Party.
The first meeting to be held will be that of the extended Congress Working Committee at 11 am where senior leaders are expected to analyse the gains and losses in the just concluded elections.
Besides the Working Committee members, Congress Legislature Party leaders and state presidents will attend the meeting. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will chair both meetings besides hosting a dinner for senior leaders and MPs.
After its rout in two consecutive Lok Sabha elections, the Congress improved its numbers in the Lower House this time around by winning 99 seats to emerge as the second-largest party. It is also the de facto leader of the Opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc, which won a total of 234 seats.
Both CWC and CPP meetings are likely to see a clamour for Rahul to take up the post of Leader of the Opposition. In 2014 and 2019, Congress could not stake a claim for the post of LoP as it did not have the required 10 per cent of MPs in the House.
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