Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday constituted five regional groups to be headed by Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gan Priyanka Gandhi, and Ahmed Patel to carry out wider consultations and decide on a name for the President's post, but the Gandhis refused to be part of it.&nbsp;

Under the decision was taken by the party's highest decision-making body, Sonia Gandhi will the eastern region group, Singh the southern group, Rahul the western region, Priyanka the north region and Patel the northeast region. However, Sonia told reporters that to put their (Sonia and Rahul) names was not right. "We cannot be part of this consultation committees. That is why we are leaving" she said.

&nbsp;Rahul also left the deliberations. Many names are doing rounds for the post of Congress president but no consensus has been achieved yet. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has batted for a young leader to head the party, while Mumbai Congress leader Milind Deora suggested the names of Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot to take up the responsibility.

A few leaders like Shashi Tharoor have suggested that an interim president be appointed at the earliest. A lawmaker from Wayanad constituency, Gandhi offered to step down from the post of Congress president at the CWC meeting on May 25, taking moral responsibility for the party's drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

However, his offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC with several top leaders rallying behind him asking him to continue to lead the party. Almost two months after that not only did the 49-year-old leader make his resignation public but also removed the tag of 'Congress President' from the bio of his twitter handle.

Many protests and scores of resignations have come to the fore to stop Rahul Gandhi from resigning. Chief Ministers of all Congress-ruled states had met with Gandhi in Delhi to advice him to reconsider his decision to resign but of no avail.

The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than its 2014 Lok Sabha results.&nbsp;

Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday constituted five regional groups to be headed by Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gan Priyanka Gandhi, and Ahmed Patel to carry out wider consultations and decide on a name for the President's post, but the Gandhis refused to be part of it.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday constituted five regional groups to be headed by Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gan Priyanka Gandhi, and Ahmed Patel to carry out wider consultations and decide on a name for the President's post, but the Gandhis refused to be part of it. Under the decision was taken by the party's highest decision-making body, Sonia Gandhi will the eastern region group, Singh the southern group, Rahul the western region, Priyanka the north region and Patel the northeast region. However, Sonia told reporters that to put their (Sonia and Rahul) names was not right. "We cannot be part of this consultation committees. That is why we are leaving" she said. Rahul also left the deliberations. Many names are doing rounds for the post of Congress president but no consensus has been achieved yet. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has batted for a young leader to head the party, while Mumbai Congress leader Milind Deora suggested the names of Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot to take up the responsibility. A few leaders like Shashi Tharoor have suggested that an interim president be appointed at the earliest. A lawmaker from Wayanad constituency, Gandhi offered to step down from the post of Congress president at the CWC meeting on May 25, taking moral responsibility for the party's drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC with several top leaders rallying behind him asking him to continue to lead the party. Almost two months after that not only did the 49-year-old leader make his resignation public but also removed the tag of 'Congress President' from the bio of his twitter handle. Many protests and scores of resignations have come to the fore to stop Rahul Gandhi from resigning. Chief Ministers of all Congress-ruled states had met with Gandhi in Delhi to advice him to reconsider his decision to resign but of no avail. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than its 2014 Lok Sabha results.

CWC constitutes groups to carry out wider consultations to choose new Congress chief

The crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet again today at 8pm to chose the party chief. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have opted out of the process.

Emerging from the meeting, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi told reporters she and Rahul Gandhi are not a part of the five regionwise groups formed in the CWC to elect the new party chief.

"Rahul and I cannot participate in the election of the new party chief. Putting our names is not good," former party chief Sonia Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi told reporters: "I am going to Wayanad tomorrow for two days as the condition is very disturbing there."

The CWC, the party`s top decision-making body, met to elect a new party chief after Rahul Gandhi refused to reconsider his resignation following the party's debacle in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

According to sources, the front runners for the position are general secretary Mukul Wasnik and Karnataka stalwart Mallikarjun Kharge.

Wasnik is the senior-most general secretary acceptable to most of the factions. Kharge, on the other hand, is a veteran leader from South India who lost Lok Sabha elections in 2019.&nbsp;

The CWC has been divided into five region-wise groups to hold further talks with the state in-charges, state party chiefs, AICC department chairman, party MPs and CLPs to build a consensus on the name of the new party chief.

Besides Rahul and Sonia, the meeting of the CWC was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, senior party leaders like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, Ahmed Patel, P Chidambaram and several others.

The CWC will meet again at 8.30 pm to get final recommendations from the five groups. The new Congress chief`s name will be finalised on Sunday, said a senior party leader.

The crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet again today at 8pm to chose the party chief. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have opted out of the process. Emerging from the meeting, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi told reporters she and Rahul Gandhi are not a part of the five regionwise groups formed in the CWC to elect the new party chief.

The crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet again today at 8pm to chose the party chief. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have opted out of the process. Emerging from the meeting, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi told reporters she and Rahul Gandhi are not a part of the five regionwise groups formed in the CWC to elect the new party chief. "Rahul and I cannot participate in the election of the new party chief. Putting our names is not good," former party chief Sonia Gandhi said. Rahul Gandhi told reporters: "I am going to Wayanad tomorrow for two days as the condition is very disturbing there." The CWC, the party`s top decision-making body, met to elect a new party chief after Rahul Gandhi refused to reconsider his resignation following the party's debacle in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. According to sources, the front runners for the position are general secretary Mukul Wasnik and Karnataka stalwart Mallikarjun Kharge. Wasnik is the senior-most general secretary acceptable to most of the factions. Kharge, on the other hand, is a veteran leader from South India who lost Lok Sabha elections in 2019. The CWC has been divided into five region-wise groups to hold further talks with the state in-charges, state party chiefs, AICC department chairman, party MPs and CLPs to build a consensus on the name of the new party chief. Besides Rahul and Sonia, the meeting of the CWC was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, senior party leaders like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, Ahmed Patel, P Chidambaram and several others. The CWC will meet again at 8.30 pm to get final recommendations from the five groups. The new Congress chief`s name will be finalised on Sunday, said a senior party leader.

CWC to meet again at 8:30pm today to choose new party chief as Rahul refuses to budge 

Indian Railways is planning to lay off at least 3 lakh employees who are above 55, according to a ministry letter.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/railways-needs-investment-of-rs-50-lakh-crore-by-2030-to-make-it-worlds-best-piyush-goyal-233681">Railway ministry has</a> written to all zonal heads including&nbsp;zonal managers to prepare a list of employees who are above 55 years. An order for performance review has also been put forth.

Not only this, according to the ministry's order, it has asked the heads to prepare a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-railways-minister-piyush-goyal-says-no-privatisation-of-railways-targets-congress-235451">list of employees </a>who are completing 30 years in the Railways till the first quarter of 2020.

Meanwhile, Indian Railways clarified saying that had recruited approximately 1,84,262 employees in various categories during the&nbsp;2014-19 period.

Recruitment exercise for 2,83,637 posts is underway, out of which tests have already been conducted for 1,41,060 posts and the process shall be completed within the next two months, it added.

Recently, the railway ministry which is headed by Piyush Goyal had said that it is studying profiles of corrupt officials to see if some action can be taken against them. However, the minister had ruled out privatisation of the national railway declaring there was "no question and no meaning".

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had earlier opposed corporatisation of the modern coach factory in Rae Bareli and said it was the first step towards privatisation. 
&nbsp; 
Goyal had claimed that the NDA government had completed 1,900 kilometres of track-linking in the last five years. The Railway minister had said track kilometre grew slowly in 64 years, while in the past five years it grew by 7,000 kilometres.

As part of modernisation plan, the Railway minister had said before the general elections that the all-mountain&nbsp;Railways in India will now have vista dome coaches, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of hilly terrains.

The latest addition of vista dome or glass-enclosed coaches has been made to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

Indian Railways is planning to lay off at least 3 lakh employees who are above 55, according to a ministry letter. The Railway ministry has written to all zonal heads including zonal managers to prepare a list of employees who are above 55 years.

Indian Railways is planning to lay off at least 3 lakh employees who are above 55, according to a ministry letter. The Railway ministry has written to all zonal heads including zonal managers to prepare a list of employees who are above 55 years. An order for performance review has also been put forth. Not only this, according to the ministry's order, it has asked the heads to prepare a list of employees who are completing 30 years in the Railways till the first quarter of 2020. Meanwhile, Indian Railways clarified saying that had recruited approximately 1,84,262 employees in various categories during the 2014-19 period. Recruitment exercise for 2,83,637 posts is underway, out of which tests have already been conducted for 1,41,060 posts and the process shall be completed within the next two months, it added. Recently, the railway ministry which is headed by Piyush Goyal had said that it is studying profiles of corrupt officials to see if some action can be taken against them. However, the minister had ruled out privatisation of the national railway declaring there was "no question and no meaning". UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had earlier opposed corporatisation of the modern coach factory in Rae Bareli and said it was the first step towards privatisation. Goyal had claimed that the NDA government had completed 1,900 kilometres of track-linking in the last five years. The Railway minister had said track kilometre grew slowly in 64 years, while in the past five years it grew by 7,000 kilometres. As part of modernisation plan, the Railway minister had said before the general elections that the all-mountain Railways in India will now have vista dome coaches, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of hilly terrains. The latest addition of vista dome or glass-enclosed coaches has been made to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

Indian Railways may lay off at least 3 lakh employees

India bids farewell to Sheila Dikshit, thousands mourn her loss

Life and times of Sheila Dikshit, the woman who transformed Delhi into a sparkling metropolitan

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/railways-needs-investment-of-rs-50-lakh-crore-by-2030-to-make-it-worlds-best-piyush-goyal-233681&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi49du-lrHjAhVMpY8KHRJPC_cQFjAGegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PRa79er7RsPwzDDwByBm6">Railway</a> Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said there is "no question and no meaning" of privatising Railways, but the public-private partnership will be encouraged and there will be corporatisation of some units.

Replying to the debate on the demands for grants of his ministry, in which 99 members participated, Goyal outlined the plans of the government to boost safety and technology and said its performance has been far better compared to that of the UPA government.&nbsp;

He made a veiled attack on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her opposition to the corporatisation of the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli and credited <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-asks-mps-to-take-150-kilometres-march-on-gandhi-jayanti-234213&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjihtD0lrHjAhULUI8KHbPYDVk4ChAWMAN6BAgOEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw2mq2heMNuhNTqHeRsM11JO">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> for its turnaround.

The Minister also accused the UPA government of "inaction" following the July 2006 train blasts and said if the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in power, terrorists would have gotten a befitting reply.

The House passed the demands for grants for railways (2019-20) after cut motions of the opposition were rejected by a voice vote.

Amid desk thumping by MPs of the treasury benches, Goyal said demands raised by members had been compiled overnight over 74 pages and he will individually write to the members.

He said capital expenditure of Railways had increased 2.5 times during the Modi government, adding that the current government had done away with the practice of a separate railway budget as they were mostly "political budgets.

"Slamming the UPA government, Goyal said the work for Dedicated Freight Corridor started in 2007, but not one kilometre of track linking had been done till 2014.&nbsp;

The NDA government completed 1900 kilometres of track linking in five years, he claimed.

The Railway Minister said track kilometre grew slowly in 64 years, while in the past five years it grew by 7,000 kilometres.&nbsp;

He also said railway stations were cleaner and train punctuality improved, as had the safety record of trains.

Goyal accused the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-leaders-stage-protest-over-political-crisis-in-karnataka-and-goa-sonia-gandhi-meets-party-mps-234887&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjtr9OMl7HjAhXJL48KHeTlC90QFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2f5YP5GuPo2VEaiA-DDPZt">Congress party</a> of shedding "crocodile tears" over the corporatisation of some units, saying the Modi government was carrying forward a process that had been initiated earlier.&nbsp;

"Sometimes it is said we are going to privatise the railways.&nbsp;

We have spoken loudly so many times that nobody can privatise railways.

There is no meaning, no question of privatising railways," he said.

He said allegations about privatisation had been replied earlier and repeating them will not change the truth.&nbsp;

"The truth is that if you want to increase the facilities of railways, spread them to all parts of the country, we need big investments," he said.

Goyal said passengers want a comfortable journey and the capacity of railways to carry goods should increase.

"The government has decided that in the future it will encourage more public-private partnerships.&nbsp;

To increase route length, to bring foreign investment, we will corporatise some units.&nbsp;

You started it, we will complete the work you left half-finished. Why are you shedding crocodile tears that there is corporatisation?&nbsp;

We have been elected to complete the tasks you did not do," he said.

He said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed an investment of Rs 50 lakh crore in railways and related areas in the next ten-twelve years and has laid a roadmap of how the railways will move forward.&nbsp;

Her budget speech, he said, reflected the "new thinking and new direction" in which the government will work.

He said not a single coach was produced at coach factory in Rae Bareli, the constituency of Sonia Gandhi, during the rule of Congress-led government.&nbsp;

The coach factory produced 1425 coaches in 2018-19 against its capacity of 1,000 due to Modi`s directions and the target was to make it the biggest coach factory in the world which produced 5,000 coaches annually, he added.

Sonia Gandhi had earlier this month opposed corporatisation of Modern Coach Factory and said it was the first step towards privatisation.

Replying to queries, he said some projects in West Bengal were pending for years as the land had not been made available by the state government.&nbsp;

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said there is "no question and no meaning" of privatising Railways, but the public-private partnership will be encouraged and there will be corporatisation of some units.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said there is "no question and no meaning" of privatising Railways, but the public-private partnership will be encouraged and there will be corporatisation of some units. Replying to the debate on the demands for grants of his ministry, in which 99 members participated, Goyal outlined the plans of the government to boost safety and technology and said its performance has been far better compared to that of the UPA government. He made a veiled attack on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her opposition to the corporatisation of the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for its turnaround. The Minister also accused the UPA government of "inaction" following the July 2006 train blasts and said if the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in power, terrorists would have gotten a befitting reply. The House passed the demands for grants for railways (2019-20) after cut motions of the opposition were rejected by a voice vote. Amid desk thumping by MPs of the treasury benches, Goyal said demands raised by members had been compiled overnight over 74 pages and he will individually write to the members. He said capital expenditure of Railways had increased 2.5 times during the Modi government, adding that the current government had done away with the practice of a separate railway budget as they were mostly "political budgets. "Slamming the UPA government, Goyal said the work for Dedicated Freight Corridor started in 2007, but not one kilometre of track linking had been done till 2014. The NDA government completed 1900 kilometres of track linking in five years, he claimed. The Railway Minister said track kilometre grew slowly in 64 years, while in the past five years it grew by 7,000 kilometres. He also said railway stations were cleaner and train punctuality improved, as had the safety record of trains. Goyal accused the Congress party of shedding "crocodile tears" over the corporatisation of some units, saying the Modi government was carrying forward a process that had been initiated earlier. "Sometimes it is said we are going to privatise the railways. We have spoken loudly so many times that nobody can privatise railways. There is no meaning, no question of privatising railways," he said. He said allegations about privatisation had been replied earlier and repeating them will not change the truth. "The truth is that if you want to increase the facilities of railways, spread them to all parts of the country, we need big investments," he said. Goyal said passengers want a comfortable journey and the capacity of railways to carry goods should increase. "The government has decided that in the future it will encourage more public-private partnerships. To increase route length, to bring foreign investment, we will corporatise some units. You started it, we will complete the work you left half-finished. Why are you shedding crocodile tears that there is corporatisation? We have been elected to complete the tasks you did not do," he said. He said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed an investment of Rs 50 lakh crore in railways and related areas in the next ten-twelve years and has laid a roadmap of how the railways will move forward. Her budget speech, he said, reflected the "new thinking and new direction" in which the government will work. He said not a single coach was produced at coach factory in Rae Bareli, the constituency of Sonia Gandhi, during the rule of Congress-led government. The coach factory produced 1425 coaches in 2018-19 against its capacity of 1,000 due to Modi`s directions and the target was to make it the biggest coach factory in the world which produced 5,000 coaches annually, he added. Sonia Gandhi had earlier this month opposed corporatisation of Modern Coach Factory and said it was the first step towards privatisation. Replying to queries, he said some projects in West Bengal were pending for years as the land had not been made available by the state government.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal says no privatisation of Railways, targets Congress

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government accusing it of not taking strict action against officials extorting money from people. 
 
Taking to Twitter, she said, "Like Neeraj, there are many others who are also facing the same issue. For everything, money is taken from them and no one addresses their grievances. My heart is aching. Where the BJP government is sleeping?." 
 
The statement from Vadra came just days after a flour-mill owner committed suicide after being allegedly harassed by a state government official. 
 
Identified as Niraj Kumar, the reportedly consumed poison in the premises of Bijnor Collectorate on Tuesday. In a suicide note recovered from the spot, he claimed that he was being harassed by a junior engineer of the state power corporation. Saini had been booked Kumar in a power theft case. More details in this regard are awaited.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government accusing it of not taking strict action against officials extorting money from people.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government accusing it of not taking strict action against officials extorting money from people. Taking to Twitter, she said, "Like Neeraj, there are many others who are also facing the same issue. For everything, money is taken from them and no one addresses their grievances. My heart is aching. Where the BJP government is sleeping?." The statement from Vadra came just days after a flour-mill owner committed suicide after being allegedly harassed by a state government official. Identified as Niraj Kumar, the reportedly consumed poison in the premises of Bijnor Collectorate on Tuesday. In a suicide note recovered from the spot, he claimed that he was being harassed by a junior engineer of the state power corporation. Saini had been booked Kumar in a power theft case. More details in this regard are awaited.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tears into UP government over corruption

Congress leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday staged a protest in Parliament over the political crisis in Karnataka and Goa. 
 
Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, Shashi Tharoor, Gaurav Gogoi, and many others joined the demonstrating lawmakers who raised slogans while carrying black and white banners.

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Delhi: Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma protest in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi tells ANI, "We are protesting against Karnataka and Goa issue" <a href="https://t.co/wmZCj7Pihn">pic.twitter.com/wmZCj7Pihn</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1149185194047475712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The protest comes a day after 10&nbsp;Goa Congress MLAs out of 15 split from the Congress and merged with the BJP on Wednesday, reducing the Congress strength to just five members. Strength of BJP has now risen to 27.

In Karnataka, Several JD(S) and Congress MLAs have resigned&nbsp;withdrawing support from the coalition government in the state.

Congress leaders have repeatedly accused the BJP and the Central government of orchestrating the current crisis in Karnataka and Goa, a charge the BJP has denied. 
 
BJP leaders have asserted that the Saffron Party has nothing to do with the ongoing crisis in both states. 
&nbsp; 
Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of &nbsp;Congress MPs of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at Congress office in Parliament. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Congress leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday staged a protest in Parliament over the political crisis in Karnataka and Goa. Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, Shashi Tharoor, Gaurav Gogoi, and many others joined the demonstrating lawmakers who raised slogans while carrying black and white banners.

Congress leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday staged a protest in Parliament over the political crisis in Karnataka and Goa. Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, Shashi Tharoor, Gaurav Gogoi, and many others joined the demonstrating lawmakers who raised slogans while carrying black and white banners. Delhi: Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma protest in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi tells ANI, "We are protesting against Karnataka and Goa issue" pic.twitter.com/wmZCj7Pihn — ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2019 × The protest comes a day after 10 Goa Congress MLAs out of 15 split from the Congress and merged with the BJP on Wednesday, reducing the Congress strength to just five members. Strength of BJP has now risen to 27. In Karnataka, Several JD(S) and Congress MLAs have resigned withdrawing support from the coalition government in the state. Congress leaders have repeatedly accused the BJP and the Central government of orchestrating the current crisis in Karnataka and Goa, a charge the BJP has denied. BJP leaders have asserted that the Saffron Party has nothing to do with the ongoing crisis in both states. Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of Congress MPs of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at Congress office in Parliament. (With inputs from agencies)

Congress leaders stage protest over political crisis in Karnataka and Goa; Sonia Gandhi meets party MPs

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, visited Amethi on Wednesday and met the party workers.

"I very happy after coming to Amethi. It feels like coming home," he tweeted in Hindi soon after reaching his erstwhile Lok Sabha constituency. 
&nbsp;

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अमेठी आकर बहुत खुश हूँ। अमेठी आना घर आने जैसा लगता है। <a href="https://t.co/B6YW2f7aLg">pic.twitter.com/B6YW2f7aLg</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1148896960339795968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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He chaired a review meeting attended by party workers and office-bearers to access the reason behind Congress's debacle in Lok Sabha elections. He asked them&nbsp;to remain prepared for a long battle to resurrect the Congress.

&nbsp;"Some mistakes have been made by you people also," he told the party workers.

This was&nbsp;his first visit to Amethi after Congress's debacle in just-concluded Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;

Rahul had lost Amethi seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul held the seat for the last 15 years.&nbsp;

On July 3, Rahul Gandhi had made his resignation letter public. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love, " he had tweeted. 
&nbsp;

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It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. 
 
I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. 
 
Jai Hind 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/WWGYt5YG4V">pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1146359704815194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Rahul Gandhi had first offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.

However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.

The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha.&nbsp;

 
(With inputs from agencies)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, visited Amethi on Wednesday and met the party workers. "I very happy after coming to Amethi.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, visited Amethi on Wednesday and met the party workers. "I very happy after coming to Amethi. It feels like coming home," he tweeted in Hindi soon after reaching his erstwhile Lok Sabha constituency. अमेठी आकर बहुत खुश हूँ। अमेठी आना घर आने जैसा लगता है। pic.twitter.com/B6YW2f7aLg — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 10, 2019 × He chaired a review meeting attended by party workers and office-bearers to access the reason behind Congress's debacle in Lok Sabha elections. He asked them to remain prepared for a long battle to resurrect the Congress. "Some mistakes have been made by you people also," he told the party workers. This was his first visit to Amethi after Congress's debacle in just-concluded Lok Sabha elections. Rahul had lost Amethi seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul held the seat for the last 15 years. On July 3, Rahul Gandhi had made his resignation letter public. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love, " he had tweeted. It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2019 × Rahul Gandhi had first offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha. (With inputs from agencies)

'It feels like coming home,' says Rahul Gandhi on his first visit to Amethi after Lok Sabha elections

Janardan Dwivedi, the former speech writer of Sonia Gandhi and longest serving general secretary of the Congress, has said that the reason for the party's defeat in India's general election is inside, not outside of the organisation.

He also said that some constitutional mechanism should have been put in place by Rahul Gandhi after he resigned as Congress president so that party could have properly moved ahead. "Some constitutional mechanism should have been constituted by the party president under which opinion of members of working committee should have been taken," the 73-year-old leader said.

Dwivedi served as general secretary of the Congress party from 2004 to 2017, but was replaced by KC Venugopal. Dwivedi was finally cast out of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) last year.

He said that there were number of issues on which he differed from the leadership. "I also apprised them of my differences. Reservation for economically backward classes was one such issue where I and leadership differed," Dwivedi said.

The basic objection raised by Dwivedi is that the consultation process is taking place under the banner of coordination committee which should not have been the case. He also said that many leaders are still sitting pretty and not ready to vacate their position after a major defeat.

He said that a gap has been left after Rahul Gandhi's resignation and norms and conventions which should have been followed in ideal condition have been set aside. He also made a point to share his resignation letter of September 15, 2014, which was rejected by the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Congress is grappling with one of biggest crises in its 150-year-old history. A major setback in the April-May general elections in India saw Congress's tally reduced to a meagre 52, threatening an existential crisis for it and subsequently leading to the resignation of its president Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul resigned as the party chief taking reponsiility for the party's dismal performance in the elections. But for weeks, Congress leaders kept urging Rahul to take back his resignation and asking him not to be too harsh on himself. The drama finally ended last week when Rahul Gandhi tweeted his resignation letter and asked the party to take the process of appointing his successor forward.

Janardan Dwivedi, the former speech writer of Sonia Gandhi and longest serving general secretary of the Congress, has said that the reason for the party's defeat in India's general election is inside, not outside of the organisation.

Janardan Dwivedi, the former speech writer of Sonia Gandhi and longest serving general secretary of the Congress, has said that the reason for the party's defeat in India's general election is inside, not outside of the organisation. He also said that some constitutional mechanism should have been put in place by Rahul Gandhi after he resigned as Congress president so that party could have properly moved ahead. "Some constitutional mechanism should have been constituted by the party president under which opinion of members of working committee should have been taken," the 73-year-old leader said. Dwivedi served as general secretary of the Congress party from 2004 to 2017, but was replaced by KC Venugopal. Dwivedi was finally cast out of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) last year. He said that there were number of issues on which he differed from the leadership. "I also apprised them of my differences. Reservation for economically backward classes was one such issue where I and leadership differed," Dwivedi said. The basic objection raised by Dwivedi is that the consultation process is taking place under the banner of coordination committee which should not have been the case. He also said that many leaders are still sitting pretty and not ready to vacate their position after a major defeat. He said that a gap has been left after Rahul Gandhi's resignation and norms and conventions which should have been followed in ideal condition have been set aside. He also made a point to share his resignation letter of September 15, 2014, which was rejected by the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Congress is grappling with one of biggest crises in its 150-year-old history. A major setback in the April-May general elections in India saw Congress's tally reduced to a meagre 52, threatening an existential crisis for it and subsequently leading to the resignation of its president Rahul Gandhi. Rahul resigned as the party chief taking reponsiility for the party's dismal performance in the elections. But for weeks, Congress leaders kept urging Rahul to take back his resignation and asking him not to be too harsh on himself. The drama finally ended last week when Rahul Gandhi tweeted his resignation letter and asked the party to take the process of appointing his successor forward.

Reason for electoral loss is inside and not outside the Congress, says old loyalist Janardhan Dwivedi

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that his party should elect a new Congress president without any further delay.&nbsp;

"Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide," news agency ANI quoted him. 
 
&nbsp;

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Rahul Gandhi: Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide. <a href="https://t.co/pvImuPq2rj">pic.twitter.com/pvImuPq2rj</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1146340387373666304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to say that it was his honour to serve as the Congress President and shared the resignation letter.

“I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love,” he wrote on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. 
 
I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. 
 
Jai Hind 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/WWGYt5YG4V">pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1146359704815194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Earlier today, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot met UPA chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi.

The development comes two days after chief ministers of five Congress-ruled states urged Rahul Gandhi not to leave the post of the party president.

Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remains unfazed. 
 
On Tuesday, party workers and leaders staged a sit-in outside Congress headquarters and urged an unrelenting Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation.&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. 
 
However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.

The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that his party should elect a new Congress president without any further delay. "Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process.

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that his party should elect a new Congress president without any further delay. "Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide," news agency ANI quoted him. Rahul Gandhi: Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide. pic.twitter.com/pvImuPq2rj — ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2019 × Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to say that it was his honour to serve as the Congress President and shared the resignation letter. “I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love,” he wrote on Twitter. It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2019 × Earlier today, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot met UPA chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi. The development comes two days after chief ministers of five Congress-ruled states urged Rahul Gandhi not to leave the post of the party president. Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remains unfazed. On Tuesday, party workers and leaders staged a sit-in outside Congress headquarters and urged an unrelenting Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation. Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha. (With inputs from agencies)

Party should decide on the new Congress president quickly, says Rahul Gandhi

A day after Rahul Gandhi made&nbsp;his resignation letter public, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took to Twitter extending her support to&nbsp;Rahul.

"Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision," tweeted Priyanka.

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Few have the courage that you do <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rahulgandhi</a>. Deepest respect for your decision. <a href="https://t.co/dh5JMSB63P">https://t.co/dh5JMSB63P</a>
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/priyankagandhi/status/1146619515339444224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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On Wednesday, Rahul had tweeted his resignation letter as party president, asking Congress to decide on the new party chief without any further delay.

"It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind," he tweeted.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. 
 
I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. 
 
Jai Hind 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/WWGYt5YG4V">pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1146359704815194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Rahul has also removed the tag of party president from his Twitter bio. He changed his bio from "President of Indian National Congress" to "Member of Indian National Congress." "This is the official account of Rahul Gandhi | Member of the Indian National Congress| Member of Parliament," his bio on Twitter now reads.

Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.

Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remained unfazed.

On Tuesday, party workers and leaders staged a sit-in outside Congress headquarters and urged an unrelenting Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation.&nbsp;

The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A day after Rahul Gandhi made his resignation letter public, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took to Twitter extending her support to Rahul. "Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi.

A day after Rahul Gandhi made his resignation letter public, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took to Twitter extending her support to Rahul. "Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision," tweeted Priyanka. Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision. https://t.co/dh5JMSB63P — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 4, 2019 × On Wednesday, Rahul had tweeted his resignation letter as party president, asking Congress to decide on the new party chief without any further delay. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind," he tweeted. It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2019 × Rahul has also removed the tag of party president from his Twitter bio. He changed his bio from "President of Indian National Congress" to "Member of Indian National Congress." "This is the official account of Rahul Gandhi | Member of the Indian National Congress| Member of Parliament," his bio on Twitter now reads. Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC. Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remained unfazed. On Tuesday, party workers and leaders staged a sit-in outside Congress headquarters and urged an unrelenting Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha. (With inputs from agencies)

'Few have the courage': Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Rahul's resignation

Nothing is permanent in politics and things can change quickly. Indian politics too is not immune to this dogma. The present crisis in&nbsp;Congress has&nbsp;brought a sidelined player to the centre stage. 
 
Ahmed Patel served as political secretary to Sonia Gandhi and virtually ran the party for 15 years. 80 per cent of the appointments within the Congress during his heydays were influenced by him. Despite the power he enjoyed, Patel was the most self-effacing and media-shy politician.

He hated his name on papers. He avoided TV to his best but still knew every reporter and editor by name. He continues with this habit but now and then indulges himself with an occasional television byte.

He was systematically sidelined by new Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The new president wanted his team in place and he got one slowly which had more outsiders than ever.

In fact, Rahul&nbsp;sidelined most of the Congress leaders who were associated with Ahmed Patel. Few close to him survived. They survived because they were powerful leaders in their respective states. The best example is Ashok Gehlot. Despite the onslaught and systematic neglect, Ahmed Patel held on to the party. He did not walk away.

He fought Rajya Sabha elections alone without any party support. It is not without significance that it took Rahul Gandhi more than 4 hours to congratulate him. He survived because he had obliged many in the 10 years Congress was in power. He did not make many enemies barring Amit Shah which was unavoidable.&nbsp;

Such was his resilience that he would often snub journalists for writing on all the work he did quietly for Gandhis. Though, he could not save his friend Janardan Dwivedi. It is said that he could not take a stand when Rahul Gandhi was altering the party in his image.

Things changed. Today, there is no leader except him in the Congress who can build a network quietly. He is the only one with whom his contemporaries and chief ministers are willing to talk. He is the glue today which can connect with each and every person in Congress. He may not be able to influence decisions unilaterally the way he did&nbsp;in the past, but he can still bring everyone on the table. The old man is back in the game again.

He still manages to get time to meet Sonia Gandhi. Though there was a time that even Sonia Gandhi was seeing less of him. Now, the party needs him more than ever.

Sonia and Rahul&nbsp;have taken a step back and Priyanka&nbsp;is confined to Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka will have to prove herself to become a contender at the national level. Rahul Gandhi is not a contender today and Sonia Gandhi, much respected will never occupy the centre stage again. In this case, it is Ahmed Patel who has been left with the baby crying. It is him, who is meeting people to create a consensus in the party in the absence of Rahul Gandhi moving away. If one has to understand as to what is happening in Congress, one may need to work their phone lines with Ahmad Patel again.

It is also true that the office of Rahul Gandhi is counting people&nbsp;who demonstrated their loyalty in time of Rahul’s utmost humiliation at hustings. Perhaps, Rahul Gandhi wanted others to resign in large numbers. It did not happen. One reason was&nbsp;that the show of support in Delhi was a big flop. The irony is that it ultimately took Ahmed Patel to create a face-saving exit for 150 loyalists who were sitting in to create pressure on Rahul Gandhi so that he withdraws his resignation.

Ahmed Patel can never be the king. In past, he was the kingmaker. He can play this role for a few more years. The choice is wide open for the party. It can either go for a loyalist and subsequently&nbsp;reignite its love affair with a younger Gandhi or chart a new journey with a new non-dynastic leader who can remake the Congress party. The game is on. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Nothing is permanent in politics and things can change quickly. Indian politics too is not immune to this dogma. The present crisis in Congress has brought a sidelined player to the centre stage.

Nothing is permanent in politics and things can change quickly. Indian politics too is not immune to this dogma. The present crisis in Congress has brought a sidelined player to the centre stage. Ahmed Patel served as political secretary to Sonia Gandhi and virtually ran the party for 15 years. 80 per cent of the appointments within the Congress during his heydays were influenced by him. Despite the power he enjoyed, Patel was the most self-effacing and media-shy politician. He hated his name on papers. He avoided TV to his best but still knew every reporter and editor by name. He continues with this habit but now and then indulges himself with an occasional television byte. He was systematically sidelined by new Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The new president wanted his team in place and he got one slowly which had more outsiders than ever. In fact, Rahul sidelined most of the Congress leaders who were associated with Ahmed Patel. Few close to him survived. They survived because they were powerful leaders in their respective states. The best example is Ashok Gehlot. Despite the onslaught and systematic neglect, Ahmed Patel held on to the party. He did not walk away. He fought Rajya Sabha elections alone without any party support. It is not without significance that it took Rahul Gandhi more than 4 hours to congratulate him. He survived because he had obliged many in the 10 years Congress was in power. He did not make many enemies barring Amit Shah which was unavoidable. Such was his resilience that he would often snub journalists for writing on all the work he did quietly for Gandhis. Though, he could not save his friend Janardan Dwivedi. It is said that he could not take a stand when Rahul Gandhi was altering the party in his image. Things changed. Today, there is no leader except him in the Congress who can build a network quietly. He is the only one with whom his contemporaries and chief ministers are willing to talk. He is the glue today which can connect with each and every person in Congress. He may not be able to influence decisions unilaterally the way he did in the past, but he can still bring everyone on the table. The old man is back in the game again. He still manages to get time to meet Sonia Gandhi. Though there was a time that even Sonia Gandhi was seeing less of him. Now, the party needs him more than ever. Sonia and Rahul have taken a step back and Priyanka is confined to Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka will have to prove herself to become a contender at the national level. Rahul Gandhi is not a contender today and Sonia Gandhi, much respected will never occupy the centre stage again. In this case, it is Ahmed Patel who has been left with the baby crying. It is him, who is meeting people to create a consensus in the party in the absence of Rahul Gandhi moving away. If one has to understand as to what is happening in Congress, one may need to work their phone lines with Ahmad Patel again. It is also true that the office of Rahul Gandhi is counting people who demonstrated their loyalty in time of Rahul’s utmost humiliation at hustings. Perhaps, Rahul Gandhi wanted others to resign in large numbers. It did not happen. One reason was that the show of support in Delhi was a big flop. The irony is that it ultimately took Ahmed Patel to create a face-saving exit for 150 loyalists who were sitting in to create pressure on Rahul Gandhi so that he withdraws his resignation. Ahmed Patel can never be the king. In past, he was the kingmaker. He can play this role for a few more years. The choice is wide open for the party. It can either go for a loyalist and subsequently reignite its love affair with a younger Gandhi or chart a new journey with a new non-dynastic leader who can remake the Congress party. The game is on. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The return of Ahmed Patel

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation has finally become a reality. It puts an end to the series of embarrassing dharnas which would have continued to take place.&nbsp;

His four-page letter would force the Congress Working Committee to select a new Congress president. Eventually, it will be ratified by the All India Congress Committee where Rahul Gandhi would sit as an ordinary member.&nbsp;

His sister and mother may continue in the party and may even influence the course of decision making, the fact remains that a non-Gandhi would be at the helm of the affair after a long time.

Last time a non-Gandhi was at the helm of affairs, the Indian economy opened up and India was introduced to its architecture Dr. Manmohan Singh.&nbsp;

Congress must not lose this opportunity to rebuild the party. Dynasty indeed has become a baggage and Gandhi’s instead of being assets were turning out to be the dead weights for the party. Rahul Gandhi’s stepping aside can create a collegial style of government.

It is a lesson which Congress can learn from BJP. After Jan Sangh experiment failed BJP was formed in the 1980s.

Top leaders in 1980s were unable to take on Indira and Rajiv Gandhi. Instead of taking them head on they focused on different states where they saw the possibility of making governments on their own.&nbsp;

Coupled with traction drawn from Ram Janmabhoomi Andolan, BJP broke new ground in western and central India. Powerful chief ministers emerged.&nbsp;

Starting from Sundaralal Patwa to Bhairo Singh Shekhawat. The central leadership was collegial in nature. A plethora of strong leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Rajmata Scindhia to LK Advani dominated the Delhi BJP.&nbsp;

They also allowed powerful chief ministers to exist. It is this model which Congress should forward to. Though it may never enjoy a support structure in the form of RSS it can start from scratch.

Rahul Gandhi in his letter blamed RSS and their idea of India. Ironically, he himself has been inconsistent in his politics. Much has been written about the loss, but the fact remains that the electorate rejected Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

He can be appreciated for staying firm on his decision. But a greater challenge lies ahead for the Congress Party. It cannot allow the message to go out that Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi are trying to control the party from a remote.&nbsp;

The message which should go is&nbsp;that Congress as a party can survive without any family or individual.

The idea of family being the centre of a political organisation had made Congress intellectually vain and bankrupt. This self-sustaining ecosystem still exists in Congress. It needs to be broken so that new and real politicians can find space in the new Congress.&nbsp;

The new Congress will need to redefine its ideological core which was unable to recraft itself because of the Nehru Gandhi baggage. PV Narasimha Rao was able to recreate a new foreign and economic policy because he was not burdened by the past.&nbsp;

New party&nbsp;president should try creating a&nbsp;Congress which is not burdened by the personal history of Nehru Gandhi dynasty. Possibilities are immense and Congress leadership should not lose this&nbsp;opportunity to recraft the party and allow subaltern leadership to occupy it's every nook and corner which has been sized by dynasties in every form.&nbsp;

What people would like to see is as to how&nbsp;Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will work in a Congress run by a non-Gandhi. I’m sure that 1990s cannot be recreated but then in politics everything is possible and if the latter becomes a reality in future then it would become an exercise in futility. Congress needs to be liberated from the dynasty. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation has finally become a reality. It puts an end to the series of embarrassing dharnas which would have continued to take place. His four-page letter would force the Congress Working Committee to select a new Congress president.

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation has finally become a reality. It puts an end to the series of embarrassing dharnas which would have continued to take place. His four-page letter would force the Congress Working Committee to select a new Congress president. Eventually, it will be ratified by the All India Congress Committee where Rahul Gandhi would sit as an ordinary member. His sister and mother may continue in the party and may even influence the course of decision making, the fact remains that a non-Gandhi would be at the helm of the affair after a long time. Last time a non-Gandhi was at the helm of affairs, the Indian economy opened up and India was introduced to its architecture Dr. Manmohan Singh. Congress must not lose this opportunity to rebuild the party. Dynasty indeed has become a baggage and Gandhi’s instead of being assets were turning out to be the dead weights for the party. Rahul Gandhi’s stepping aside can create a collegial style of government. It is a lesson which Congress can learn from BJP. After Jan Sangh experiment failed BJP was formed in the 1980s. Top leaders in 1980s were unable to take on Indira and Rajiv Gandhi. Instead of taking them head on they focused on different states where they saw the possibility of making governments on their own. Coupled with traction drawn from Ram Janmabhoomi Andolan, BJP broke new ground in western and central India. Powerful chief ministers emerged. Starting from Sundaralal Patwa to Bhairo Singh Shekhawat. The central leadership was collegial in nature. A plethora of strong leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Rajmata Scindhia to LK Advani dominated the Delhi BJP. They also allowed powerful chief ministers to exist. It is this model which Congress should forward to. Though it may never enjoy a support structure in the form of RSS it can start from scratch. Rahul Gandhi in his letter blamed RSS and their idea of India. Ironically, he himself has been inconsistent in his politics. Much has been written about the loss, but the fact remains that the electorate rejected Rahul Gandhi. He can be appreciated for staying firm on his decision. But a greater challenge lies ahead for the Congress Party. It cannot allow the message to go out that Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi are trying to control the party from a remote. The message which should go is that Congress as a party can survive without any family or individual. The idea of family being the centre of a political organisation had made Congress intellectually vain and bankrupt. This self-sustaining ecosystem still exists in Congress. It needs to be broken so that new and real politicians can find space in the new Congress. The new Congress will need to redefine its ideological core which was unable to recraft itself because of the Nehru Gandhi baggage. PV Narasimha Rao was able to recreate a new foreign and economic policy because he was not burdened by the past. New party president should try creating a Congress which is not burdened by the personal history of Nehru Gandhi dynasty. Possibilities are immense and Congress leadership should not lose this opportunity to recraft the party and allow subaltern leadership to occupy it's every nook and corner which has been sized by dynasties in every form. What people would like to see is as to how Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will work in a Congress run by a non-Gandhi. I’m sure that 1990s cannot be recreated but then in politics everything is possible and if the latter becomes a reality in future then it would become an exercise in futility. Congress needs to be liberated from the dynasty. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Congress must not lose this opportunity to rebuild the party

Congress Parliamentary Party chief <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-reaches-out-to-sonia-gandhi-ahead-of-parliament-session-225236">Sonia Gandhi </a>on Tuesday said that government was seeking to surreptitiously "privatise" the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli, adding that it has caused uncertainty among employees and their families.&nbsp;

Raising the issue during zero hours in the Lok Sabha, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-sonia-gandhi-to-attend-narendra-modis-swearing-in-ceremony-as-prime-minister-222569">Sonia Gandhi</a> said that privatization leads to thousands of people getting unemployed and is against the objectives for which the plant had been set up.

"The real concern is that they have chosen Modern Coach Factory for the experiment," the Rae Bareli lawmaker said.&nbsp;

She added that the factory had been set up by the UPA government to boost manufacturing in the country and is the "most modern plant" that makes good quality coaches at cheap prices.

"The employees have also not been taken into confidence. It is a matter of sadness that their and their families` future is in danger," she said."I urge the government to protect the Modern Coach Factory and other PSUs and give respect to the farmers and their families," the senior Congress leader said.&nbsp;

The UPA chairperson also expressed concerns over the condition of some public sector undertakings, including HAL, BSNL and MTNL."Their condition is not hidden from anyone," she said.&nbsp;

Gandhi said privatisation leads to priceless assets going to a few private hands at very cheap prices and thousands getting unemployed.&nbsp;

She also expressed unhappiness over BJP-led NDA government`s decision to merge the rail budget with the general budget.

Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said that government was seeking to surreptitiously "privatise" the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli, adding that it has caused uncertainty among employees and their families.

Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said that government was seeking to surreptitiously "privatise" the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli, adding that it has caused uncertainty among employees and their families. Raising the issue during zero hours in the Lok Sabha, Sonia Gandhi said that privatization leads to thousands of people getting unemployed and is against the objectives for which the plant had been set up. "The real concern is that they have chosen Modern Coach Factory for the experiment," the Rae Bareli lawmaker said. She added that the factory had been set up by the UPA government to boost manufacturing in the country and is the "most modern plant" that makes good quality coaches at cheap prices. "The employees have also not been taken into confidence. It is a matter of sadness that their and their families` future is in danger," she said."I urge the government to protect the Modern Coach Factory and other PSUs and give respect to the farmers and their families," the senior Congress leader said. The UPA chairperson also expressed concerns over the condition of some public sector undertakings, including HAL, BSNL and MTNL."Their condition is not hidden from anyone," she said. Gandhi said privatisation leads to priceless assets going to a few private hands at very cheap prices and thousands getting unemployed. She also expressed unhappiness over BJP-led NDA government`s decision to merge the rail budget with the general budget.

Sonia Gandhi opposes move to privatise Rae Bareli coach factory

Apart from the drama of absurd which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cms-of-congress-ruled-states-to-meet-rahul-gandhi-today-to-urge-against-the-resignation-decision-231881">Congress party may witness</a> on Tuesday, Congress Working Committee (CWC) is all set to meet either on Wednesday or Thursday to discuss the future of the party.&nbsp;

Despite young office holders planning to go in an indefinite strike in AICC to persuade Rahul Gandhi to remain as Congress president, two names have emerged as front runners for the position of the party president.&nbsp;

Two names are - former home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and former leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. Though Shinde lost the elections and also came under political storm because of the saffron terror controversy, he remains a Gandhi loyalist.&nbsp;

Shinde has also served in various positions in his forty-year career which includes the position of a governor and union minister. Mallikarjun Kharge's too is a very senior leader who started his career in 1972 but his stint at the Centre started in 2014 when he was appointed as the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha.&nbsp;

As a last-ditch move, Congress chief ministers are meeting Rahul Gandhi to impress upon him that he should continue as the president of the party.

Sources also say that Rahul Gandhi remains firm on his decision and may join his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with his mother Sonia Gandhi by end of the week in the United States where Robert Vadra is undergoing surgery.

It is a matter of debate as to what will happen inside the Congress Working Committee, but senior leaders have confirmed that the only way to end the crisis in the party is to convene the CWC. Only the CWC can pass a resolution for a particular person, as the name can only be ratified by the AICC. As per the rule, senior most general secretary of AICC can convene a CWC in the absence of a president.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, in a related development, an open rift has opened between junior and senior leaders. A source in the Congress confirmed that leaders going on protest have been told that they must not name senior leaders from the podium to resign. A point to be noted is that as of now no senior leader, CWC member or chief minister has offered to resign.

Apart from the drama of absurd which Congress party may witness on Tuesday, Congress Working Committee (CWC) is all set to meet either on Wednesday or Thursday to discuss the future of the party.

Apart from the drama of absurd which Congress party may witness on Tuesday, Congress Working Committee (CWC) is all set to meet either on Wednesday or Thursday to discuss the future of the party. Despite young office holders planning to go in an indefinite strike in AICC to persuade Rahul Gandhi to remain as Congress president, two names have emerged as front runners for the position of the party president. Two names are - former home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and former leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. Though Shinde lost the elections and also came under political storm because of the saffron terror controversy, he remains a Gandhi loyalist. Shinde has also served in various positions in his forty-year career which includes the position of a governor and union minister. Mallikarjun Kharge's too is a very senior leader who started his career in 1972 but his stint at the Centre started in 2014 when he was appointed as the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha. As a last-ditch move, Congress chief ministers are meeting Rahul Gandhi to impress upon him that he should continue as the president of the party. Sources also say that Rahul Gandhi remains firm on his decision and may join his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with his mother Sonia Gandhi by end of the week in the United States where Robert Vadra is undergoing surgery. It is a matter of debate as to what will happen inside the Congress Working Committee, but senior leaders have confirmed that the only way to end the crisis in the party is to convene the CWC. Only the CWC can pass a resolution for a particular person, as the name can only be ratified by the AICC. As per the rule, senior most general secretary of AICC can convene a CWC in the absence of a president. Meanwhile, in a related development, an open rift has opened between junior and senior leaders. A source in the Congress confirmed that leaders going on protest have been told that they must not name senior leaders from the podium to resign. A point to be noted is that as of now no senior leader, CWC member or chief minister has offered to resign.

Sushil Kumar Shinde emerges frontrunner as CWC set to meet this week

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday refused to reconsider his decision to resign as the party president, saying he has taken full responsibility of party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.

"I have resigned after taking full responsibility and ensuring accountability for the party's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. I cannot ask others to resign too. It is up to them if they want to take responsibility," he told the Congress leaders in Haryana. 
 
He made the comments during a meeting with leaders from Haryana state coordination committee who urged him to continue to lead the party and take back his resignation.

Earlier, in a meeting of Congress Parliamentary party chaired by UPA chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday, &nbsp;Gandhi told his party's Lok Sabha members that he was no longer the Congress president as he had resigned.

Rahul had offered to resign as the party chief at the May 25 meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) after the Lok Sabha elections. While the CWC had rejected his resignation and asked him to restructure the party at all levels. Since then party leaders have been trying to convince the Gandhi scion to reconsider his decision.

Last week, Gandhi had said the party would decide his successor. “I am not the right person to make a decision and will not get involved in that process,” he had said.

According to reports, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot is likely to be appointed as the next Congress president. Sources in the Delhi unit of the party say that a large chunk of Congress is in favour of Gehlot's elevation as the party chief.

Congress put a poor show in the Lok Sabha polls by winning just 52 seats, while the ruling BJP stormed back to power with 303 seats.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday refused to reconsider his decision to resign as the party president, saying he has taken full responsibility of party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday refused to reconsider his decision to resign as the party president, saying he has taken full responsibility of party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. "I have resigned after taking full responsibility and ensuring accountability for the party's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. I cannot ask others to resign too. It is up to them if they want to take responsibility," he told the Congress leaders in Haryana. He made the comments during a meeting with leaders from Haryana state coordination committee who urged him to continue to lead the party and take back his resignation. Earlier, in a meeting of Congress Parliamentary party chaired by UPA chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday, Gandhi told his party's Lok Sabha members that he was no longer the Congress president as he had resigned. Rahul had offered to resign as the party chief at the May 25 meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) after the Lok Sabha elections. While the CWC had rejected his resignation and asked him to restructure the party at all levels. Since then party leaders have been trying to convince the Gandhi scion to reconsider his decision. Last week, Gandhi had said the party would decide his successor. “I am not the right person to make a decision and will not get involved in that process,” he had said. According to reports, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot is likely to be appointed as the next Congress president. Sources in the Delhi unit of the party say that a large chunk of Congress is in favour of Gehlot's elevation as the party chief. Congress put a poor show in the Lok Sabha polls by winning just 52 seats, while the ruling BJP stormed back to power with 303 seats. (With inputs from agencies)

I have resigned after taking full responsibility of Congress's defeat, says Rahul Gandhi

Those writing the political epitaph of the Gandhi family, particularly that of Rahul, would be well advised to hold their horses. Sure, at the moment, the situation looks grim for the Congress, particularly for its first family that has led India’s 134-year-old party up the garden path, potentially up to a point of no-return.

But the obvious weakness of the Congress — mainly its discredited leadership, or joint family leadership — is also its asset. The rest of the party, with its multi-faceted talents, even if somewhat short on mass appeal, may not be able to stick around for too long without a member of the Gandhi family at the helm.

Those suggesting that the Congress may break after a heavy second Lok Sabha drubbing, are daydreaming. A party that did not split with a rock-bottom 43 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 is unlikely to splinter at an improved 52 Lok Sabha seats in 2019.

Please note that not a single discordant note has been sounded in the Congress, despite another pathetic electoral performance. In any other party, including the BJP, such heavy reverses would have caused sufficient ripples within the leadership, party rank and file.

The reasons are not far to seek. Old timers in the party remember the PV Narasimha Rao era with some trepidation. The Congress suffered a series of splits during the 1990s. Rao faced difficulties right after taking over, in running the government as well as the party. There was mistrust between him and veterans such as Arjun Singh and ND Tiwari. At the Tirupati AICC session in April 1992, Singh won the Congress Working Committee (CWC) polls with the highest margin; Sharad Pawar too was victorious. Rao asked the entire newly-elected CWC to resign on the pretext that there was not enough representation of women and Dalits. He then reconstituted the CWC and included Singh in the nominated category.

But the trouble was far from over. After the demolition of Babri Masjid, Singh started spreading the view that Rao was not secular enough. A power struggle ensued in which Rao lost Sonia Gandhi’s support because he was not seen as active enough on the question of Rajiv’s assassination.

In 1994, the Congress lost in Rao’s home state Andhra Pradesh, which emboldened his critics. The feud resulted in Arjun Singh’s ouster from the Cabinet and suspension from the party, resulting in another split. A breakaway faction was formed with ND Tiwari as president and Arjun Singh as working president. After running a minority government for five years, the Congress lost power in 1996. It would take them another eight years to come back. Rao resigned and AICC treasurer Sitaram Kesri took over, but he too was challenged by other senior leaders. The two years following the 1996 defeat saw backroom manoeuvring and intrigue. In the 1997 Congress presidential election, Kesri defeated Pawar and Pilot. Two years later, he was thrown out of the party after Sonia indicated a willingness to take over.

The broader point, however, is that in the absence of a Gandhi family member at the helm of the party, notably Sonia who had decided to lie low for several years after Rajiv’s assassination, the Congress was in a state of flux with periodic exodus of leaders big and small.

For the Congress to be revived from its comatose stage, it took a Sonia to get all factional leaders and party satraps under one roof by the time she took over in 1998. A year later, she had countered a rebellion from senior leader Sharad Pawar. But what had become clear in this turbulent decade was that the party could not survive without a Gandhi at the helm.

Even more stark was the realisation that the perpetually warring Congress leaders and factions, only listen to their first family, as there remains little scope of reconciliation among themselves.

Once again, politics is running true to form. A party that has been vanquished at the hustings, is pleading with the party president — who himself has been humbled in his bailiff Amethi — to kindly assume leadership of the party, indeed salvage the grand old party from distress and demoralisation. One senior leader after the other is making a case as strongly as possible for Rahul to shed his diffidence and take the bull by the horns, with the latter barely willing to demur.

Comically — if the situation was not so tragic — state Congress leaders have been asked to put in their papers and scapegoats are being pulled out of broom closets, without any responsibility being placed at the door of the top leadership.

One of the main reasons for the Congress to have reached this stage is its inability to introspect. There has been no inner-reflection — as a Gandhi or Nehru would have done — on where and how things have gone wrong and the remedies thereof. Instead, there is this touch of arrogance, with the BJP victory being attributed to fudged EVMs, smart marketing and even the devil’s luck. Not a word about the fading appeal of the once-mighty party, pushed further down the drain by a listless Gandhi family, whose stories of political planning for the polls, post the defeat, are too shocking to be true.

There is no candid admission that for a man who made his political debut in 2004, Rahul has not only not influenced any electoral outcome till 2019, but unbelievably, there is no known plan of action ahead. In fact, there appears little clarity on whether Congress even has a party president or not! 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-dynasty-glue-that-won-t-let-go-2765313">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Those writing the political epitaph of the Gandhi family, particularly that of Rahul, would be well advised to hold their horses. Sure, at the moment, the situation looks grim for the Congress, particularly for its first family that has led India’s 134-year-old party up the garden path, potentially up to a point of no-return.

Those writing the political epitaph of the Gandhi family, particularly that of Rahul, would be well advised to hold their horses. Sure, at the moment, the situation looks grim for the Congress, particularly for its first family that has led India’s 134-year-old party up the garden path, potentially up to a point of no-return. But the obvious weakness of the Congress — mainly its discredited leadership, or joint family leadership — is also its asset. The rest of the party, with its multi-faceted talents, even if somewhat short on mass appeal, may not be able to stick around for too long without a member of the Gandhi family at the helm. Those suggesting that the Congress may break after a heavy second Lok Sabha drubbing, are daydreaming. A party that did not split with a rock-bottom 43 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 is unlikely to splinter at an improved 52 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. Please note that not a single discordant note has been sounded in the Congress, despite another pathetic electoral performance. In any other party, including the BJP, such heavy reverses would have caused sufficient ripples within the leadership, party rank and file. The reasons are not far to seek. Old timers in the party remember the PV Narasimha Rao era with some trepidation. The Congress suffered a series of splits during the 1990s. Rao faced difficulties right after taking over, in running the government as well as the party. There was mistrust between him and veterans such as Arjun Singh and ND Tiwari. At the Tirupati AICC session in April 1992, Singh won the Congress Working Committee (CWC) polls with the highest margin; Sharad Pawar too was victorious. Rao asked the entire newly-elected CWC to resign on the pretext that there was not enough representation of women and Dalits. He then reconstituted the CWC and included Singh in the nominated category. But the trouble was far from over. After the demolition of Babri Masjid, Singh started spreading the view that Rao was not secular enough. A power struggle ensued in which Rao lost Sonia Gandhi’s support because he was not seen as active enough on the question of Rajiv’s assassination. In 1994, the Congress lost in Rao’s home state Andhra Pradesh, which emboldened his critics. The feud resulted in Arjun Singh’s ouster from the Cabinet and suspension from the party, resulting in another split. A breakaway faction was formed with ND Tiwari as president and Arjun Singh as working president. After running a minority government for five years, the Congress lost power in 1996. It would take them another eight years to come back. Rao resigned and AICC treasurer Sitaram Kesri took over, but he too was challenged by other senior leaders. The two years following the 1996 defeat saw backroom manoeuvring and intrigue. In the 1997 Congress presidential election, Kesri defeated Pawar and Pilot. Two years later, he was thrown out of the party after Sonia indicated a willingness to take over. The broader point, however, is that in the absence of a Gandhi family member at the helm of the party, notably Sonia who had decided to lie low for several years after Rajiv’s assassination, the Congress was in a state of flux with periodic exodus of leaders big and small. For the Congress to be revived from its comatose stage, it took a Sonia to get all factional leaders and party satraps under one roof by the time she took over in 1998. A year later, she had countered a rebellion from senior leader Sharad Pawar. But what had become clear in this turbulent decade was that the party could not survive without a Gandhi at the helm. Even more stark was the realisation that the perpetually warring Congress leaders and factions, only listen to their first family, as there remains little scope of reconciliation among themselves. Once again, politics is running true to form. A party that has been vanquished at the hustings, is pleading with the party president — who himself has been humbled in his bailiff Amethi — to kindly assume leadership of the party, indeed salvage the grand old party from distress and demoralisation. One senior leader after the other is making a case as strongly as possible for Rahul to shed his diffidence and take the bull by the horns, with the latter barely willing to demur. Comically — if the situation was not so tragic — state Congress leaders have been asked to put in their papers and scapegoats are being pulled out of broom closets, without any responsibility being placed at the door of the top leadership. One of the main reasons for the Congress to have reached this stage is its inability to introspect. There has been no inner-reflection — as a Gandhi or Nehru would have done — on where and how things have gone wrong and the remedies thereof. Instead, there is this touch of arrogance, with the BJP victory being attributed to fudged EVMs, smart marketing and even the devil’s luck. Not a word about the fading appeal of the once-mighty party, pushed further down the drain by a listless Gandhi family, whose stories of political planning for the polls, post the defeat, are too shocking to be true. There is no candid admission that for a man who made his political debut in 2004, Rahul has not only not influenced any electoral outcome till 2019, but unbelievably, there is no known plan of action ahead. In fact, there appears little clarity on whether Congress even has a party president or not! (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Congress culture: Dynasty glue that won’t let go

The principle reason why Indian liberalism has turned on its head is because of dynasties which have spawned all across political parties. Dynasties are undemocratic in nature, and hence, the functioning of the political parties remain undemocratic.

Social mobility lies at the core of liberal values. Liberalism was a movement against medieval institutions which stood for the politics of birth and entitlement. The aristocracy wanted to perpetuate the old order which liberal values challenged.

Liberal order fought for mobility in the society which freed labour and mind from traditional structures of social and political hierarchies. Indian democratic politics started with liberal politics at helms of the affair. The conservatives in Indian politics immediately after 1947 were a minority and did not enjoy social and cultural gravitas.

70 years down the line, every party in India claiming itself to be liberal has turned dynastic and conservative. BJP seems to be the only party holding ground to rampant dynasticism which exists in Indian politics.

The irony is that BJP does not call itself liberal but demonstrates the fastest political mobility within the organisation. It is not as if families are absent in RSS-BJP. They do exist, but power transition does not take place within one family. BJP is not hostage to one family. The party firmly rests on the principle of ideology than family loyalty. The vote catching job is not rested on the shoulder of the charism of a clan but on the organisation which has the build in capacity to outlast any individual. It is for this reason that BJP was able to make a transition from Vajpayee to Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

The other big reason why parties which claim to be liberal became highly elitist and short on mobility because successive generations became more and more westernised but not the party. It created a social circuit within the all-powerful political spectrum which was distinct and different from the culture and ideology of the organisation.

For example, Rajiv Gandhi in 1980s wanted to change the party with his friends. Rahul Gandhi also fought with the top Congress brass with little help from his friends. Other regional parties have witnessed this development with various degrees. Such social circuits operate in most of the parties and claim to hold liberal values. This circle involves people related to the first family of a party in a personal way where loyalty to the family members is ranked over and above the organisation.

If one looks at BJP-RSS Parivar, the ideology of the parent outfit and health of the organisation is given primacy over the individual. Moreover, frontal organisations of RSS and BJP became a conduit to mainframe which is not the case with many other parties. Many leaders of these two subsets constitute the top rung of BJP now. Today, Congress cannot boost such mobility. The regional parties run by dynasts cannot promise mobility.

Mobility means that every post in a political party should be open to contest. Those parties which band around a family do not have the right to exist in modern societies because they only end up perpetuating a feudal system. Such parties should wither away making space for healthier options to come up. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

The principle reason why Indian liberalism has turned on its head is because of dynasties which have spawned all across political parties. Dynasties are undemocratic in nature, and hence, the functioning of the political parties remain undemocratic.

The principle reason why Indian liberalism has turned on its head is because of dynasties which have spawned all across political parties. Dynasties are undemocratic in nature, and hence, the functioning of the political parties remain undemocratic. Social mobility lies at the core of liberal values. Liberalism was a movement against medieval institutions which stood for the politics of birth and entitlement. The aristocracy wanted to perpetuate the old order which liberal values challenged. Liberal order fought for mobility in the society which freed labour and mind from traditional structures of social and political hierarchies. Indian democratic politics started with liberal politics at helms of the affair. The conservatives in Indian politics immediately after 1947 were a minority and did not enjoy social and cultural gravitas. 70 years down the line, every party in India claiming itself to be liberal has turned dynastic and conservative. BJP seems to be the only party holding ground to rampant dynasticism which exists in Indian politics. The irony is that BJP does not call itself liberal but demonstrates the fastest political mobility within the organisation. It is not as if families are absent in RSS-BJP. They do exist, but power transition does not take place within one family. BJP is not hostage to one family. The party firmly rests on the principle of ideology than family loyalty. The vote catching job is not rested on the shoulder of the charism of a clan but on the organisation which has the build in capacity to outlast any individual. It is for this reason that BJP was able to make a transition from Vajpayee to Narendra Modi. The other big reason why parties which claim to be liberal became highly elitist and short on mobility because successive generations became more and more westernised but not the party. It created a social circuit within the all-powerful political spectrum which was distinct and different from the culture and ideology of the organisation. For example, Rajiv Gandhi in 1980s wanted to change the party with his friends. Rahul Gandhi also fought with the top Congress brass with little help from his friends. Other regional parties have witnessed this development with various degrees. Such social circuits operate in most of the parties and claim to hold liberal values. This circle involves people related to the first family of a party in a personal way where loyalty to the family members is ranked over and above the organisation. If one looks at BJP-RSS Parivar, the ideology of the parent outfit and health of the organisation is given primacy over the individual. Moreover, frontal organisations of RSS and BJP became a conduit to mainframe which is not the case with many other parties. Many leaders of these two subsets constitute the top rung of BJP now. Today, Congress cannot boost such mobility. The regional parties run by dynasts cannot promise mobility. Mobility means that every post in a political party should be open to contest. Those parties which band around a family do not have the right to exist in modern societies because they only end up perpetuating a feudal system. Such parties should wither away making space for healthier options to come up. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Why liberal political parties run by dynasts are a gated community

Jessie J took to social media on Saturday to pen a loved-up note for her baby daddy.&nbsp;The English singer has mostly remained tight-lipped about the identity of her boyfriend but it seems that she is ready to introduce her man to the world.

Sharing a sweet tribute for her boyfriend of nearly two years shortly after they welcomed their first child, Jessi J wrote, "I struggle to keep things private. I think if you know me you know that. I want to protect the people I love and keep it for just myself. And then so often I think f**k it because life is short [and] I don’t want to regret it. Once you open the door you can’t close it."

The singer went on to reveal that she "met this man"&nbsp;a few weeks after&nbsp;she suffered a miscarriage in 2021. "Like a beam of light, he lit up my dark days,"&nbsp;the England native wrote while&nbsp;uploading a picture&nbsp;from the OT as she was giving birth. "It was a whirlwind love and a miracle that we fell pregnant naturally with not one issue. Grateful doesn’t cut it. He has given me many of the best gifts of my life."

Jessi continued,&nbsp;"He didn’t let go of my hand [during childbirth] and I wouldn’t have been able to go through it without him. The calm to my crazy. The peace to my fear. The Daddy to my baby. Thank you."

Check it out below!

<img alt="ss" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d3cf3210-a208-45c9-b437-07711845fec8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Jessie-J-Reveals-She-Met-Her-Boyfriend-Weeks-After-Suffering-a-Miscarriage-Inline-01.jpg" />

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/shahid-kapoor-opens-up-on-working-with-kriti-sanon-for-the-first-time-says-she-is-on-the-top-of-her-game-600172">Shahid Kapoor opens up on working with Kriti Sanon for the first time, says 'She is on the top of her game'</a>

Jessie suffered a pregnancy loss&nbsp;in November 2021 after deciding to have a baby on her own. In January this year, she revealed that she is expecting again and will soon welcome her rainbow baby with her baby daddy. For those unaware, rainbow baby&nbsp;is a name coined for "a healthy baby born after losing a baby due to miscarriage, infant loss, stillbirth, or neonatal death".

In May, she welcomed her little munchkin, while keeping the identity of the baby daddy under wraps.

"A week ago my whole life changed. My son entered this world and my heart grew twice the size. The feeling is indescribable [and] I am flying in love. He is magic. He is all my dreams come true [and] he is my whole,"&nbsp;Jessie wrote on an Instagram on May 19. "He and I are both doing great. I am soaking up every second and still can’t believe he is real, here and mine. I am so grateful."

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Jessie J took to social media on Saturday to pen a loved-up note for her baby daddy. The English singer has mostly remained tight-lipped about the identity of her boyfriend but it seems that she is ready to introduce her man to the world.

Jessie J took to social media on Saturday to pen a loved-up note for her baby daddy. The English singer has mostly remained tight-lipped about the identity of her boyfriend but it seems that she is ready to introduce her man to the world. Sharing a sweet tribute for her boyfriend of nearly two years shortly after they welcomed their first child, Jessi J wrote, "I struggle to keep things private. I think if you know me you know that. I want to protect the people I love and keep it for just myself. And then so often I think f**k it because life is short [and] I don’t want to regret it. Once you open the door you can’t close it." The singer went on to reveal that she "met this man" a few weeks after she suffered a miscarriage in 2021. "Like a beam of light, he lit up my dark days," the England native wrote while uploading a picture from the OT as she was giving birth. "It was a whirlwind love and a miracle that we fell pregnant naturally with not one issue. Grateful doesn’t cut it. He has given me many of the best gifts of my life." Jessi continued, "He didn’t let go of my hand [during childbirth] and I wouldn’t have been able to go through it without him. The calm to my crazy. The peace to my fear. The Daddy to my baby. Thank you." Check it out below! Also read: Shahid Kapoor opens up on working with Kriti Sanon for the first time, says 'She is on the top of her game' Jessie suffered a pregnancy loss in November 2021 after deciding to have a baby on her own. In January this year, she revealed that she is expecting again and will soon welcome her rainbow baby with her baby daddy. For those unaware, rainbow baby is a name coined for "a healthy baby born after losing a baby due to miscarriage, infant loss, stillbirth, or neonatal death". In May, she welcomed her little munchkin, while keeping the identity of the baby daddy under wraps. "A week ago my whole life changed. My son entered this world and my heart grew twice the size. The feeling is indescribable [and] I am flying in love. He is magic. He is all my dreams come true [and] he is my whole," Jessie wrote on an Instagram on May 19. "He and I are both doing great. I am soaking up every second and still can’t believe he is real, here and mine. I am so grateful." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Opposition parties to huddle before taking call on attending PM Modi's simultaneous poll meet

Political capital is not eternal, and Sonia Gandhi is one such example in Indian politics. Once a saviour, a person who renounced the position of the Prime Minister plainly and simply, today comes across as a dynast who has failed to gauge the change in society and decline of her organisation simultaneously.&nbsp;

A lot of blame has been heaped on Rahul Gandhi who has already conceded defeat but in essence, today's Congress is in shambles&nbsp;because Sonia Gandhi’s model of politics has collapsed with the generational shift in&nbsp;its core leadership.

When Sonia Gandhi, took charge of the Congress, the organisation was demoralised but existed in many states with plenty of leaders. Her work was primarily focused on getting the Congress families together all across India.&nbsp;

She did not overhaul the organisation. She only ensured that state satraps are aligned to the leadership who otherwise were not interested in listening to each other. The politics of regional satraps also worked because of mystique surrounding Sonia Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi had the deep sympathy of people because of the tragic circumstance in which Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated.

This model worked well till Sonia Gandhi was around and actively ensuring that satraps were allowed to perpetuate little dynasties at the regional and local level.

Ironically, the weakness lied at the heart of the 'Satrap system'. Unlike BJP, all of them could chart an independent journey outside the Congress fold, taking workers in lock stock and barrel with them.

Secondly, all the leaders pre-existed who were principally spawned by Indira and Sanjay Gandhi. I would say, primarily Sanjay Gandhi. Lastly, the only glue which kept the satraps together was power and not ideology. It is for this reason, Congress today witnesses exodus of leaders at an alarming level, emptying the party at district levels as workers never belonged to the organisation but to a set of local leaders.&nbsp;

Her lack of work on organisation and focus on individual-family connection politics not only added to the downfall in 2014 but also repeat defeat in 2019. The Congress calculation was again hinged on a number of regional and local dynasts who would be able to retain their seats. In 2019, the only party won and individual candidates barring odd few lost. It is only for the party work and smart alliance, Congress won seats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and for lack of organisation, all-star candidates lost to BJP which enjoys a heady combination of strong organisation married to charismatic leadership.&nbsp;

In a way, 2019 has ended Sonia Gandhi’s model of politics completely. Many would say as to where does Rahul Gandhi stand in all this? I would say that his tinkering with NSUI and Youth Congress acted as a catalyst for the demise of the system which was already rotting from within. Instead of picking and pushing fresh talent, elections made the process expensive, casting out poorer and not so rich aspirants.

He could also not organise the satraps on non-dynastic lines because he himself is a dynast and could not convince anybody of sacrifice their own children for the party’s health. In fact, he added to the dynasty by inducting his sister directly as a General Secretary. With no political equity, no organisation and incoherent ideology, it was a lost cause already.

Today, Sonia Gandhi only comes across as a dynast dressed up Nehruvian socialism which has been resoundingly defeated. 2019 also marks the coming of age for the national middle class which can make or break Indian elections.&nbsp;

There is a piece of advice which Congress can use.&nbsp;“Pehle Vichaar Hota hai, Vichaar Kee Neev Par Sangathan Banta hai Aur Sangathan ki Buniyad par Satta Miltee Hai."

The process seems to be in a reverse mode in Congress. The best example is&nbsp;that of Rahul Gandhi who in 2005 at Hyderabad Plenary said that national flag is his religion. The same man by 2017 became a Janeu Dhari Shiv Bhakta begging the question, which is the real Congress and what does it stands for today. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Political capital is not eternal, and Sonia Gandhi is one such example in Indian politics. Once a saviour, a person who renounced the position of the Prime Minister plainly and simply, today comes across as a dynast who has failed to gauge the change in society and decline of her organisation simultaneously.

Political capital is not eternal, and Sonia Gandhi is one such example in Indian politics. Once a saviour, a person who renounced the position of the Prime Minister plainly and simply, today comes across as a dynast who has failed to gauge the change in society and decline of her organisation simultaneously. A lot of blame has been heaped on Rahul Gandhi who has already conceded defeat but in essence, today's Congress is in shambles because Sonia Gandhi’s model of politics has collapsed with the generational shift in its core leadership. When Sonia Gandhi, took charge of the Congress, the organisation was demoralised but existed in many states with plenty of leaders. Her work was primarily focused on getting the Congress families together all across India. She did not overhaul the organisation. She only ensured that state satraps are aligned to the leadership who otherwise were not interested in listening to each other. The politics of regional satraps also worked because of mystique surrounding Sonia Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi had the deep sympathy of people because of the tragic circumstance in which Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. This model worked well till Sonia Gandhi was around and actively ensuring that satraps were allowed to perpetuate little dynasties at the regional and local level. Ironically, the weakness lied at the heart of the 'Satrap system'. Unlike BJP, all of them could chart an independent journey outside the Congress fold, taking workers in lock stock and barrel with them. Secondly, all the leaders pre-existed who were principally spawned by Indira and Sanjay Gandhi. I would say, primarily Sanjay Gandhi. Lastly, the only glue which kept the satraps together was power and not ideology. It is for this reason, Congress today witnesses exodus of leaders at an alarming level, emptying the party at district levels as workers never belonged to the organisation but to a set of local leaders. Her lack of work on organisation and focus on individual-family connection politics not only added to the downfall in 2014 but also repeat defeat in 2019. The Congress calculation was again hinged on a number of regional and local dynasts who would be able to retain their seats. In 2019, the only party won and individual candidates barring odd few lost. It is only for the party work and smart alliance, Congress won seats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and for lack of organisation, all-star candidates lost to BJP which enjoys a heady combination of strong organisation married to charismatic leadership. In a way, 2019 has ended Sonia Gandhi’s model of politics completely. Many would say as to where does Rahul Gandhi stand in all this? I would say that his tinkering with NSUI and Youth Congress acted as a catalyst for the demise of the system which was already rotting from within. Instead of picking and pushing fresh talent, elections made the process expensive, casting out poorer and not so rich aspirants. He could also not organise the satraps on non-dynastic lines because he himself is a dynast and could not convince anybody of sacrifice their own children for the party’s health. In fact, he added to the dynasty by inducting his sister directly as a General Secretary. With no political equity, no organisation and incoherent ideology, it was a lost cause already. Today, Sonia Gandhi only comes across as a dynast dressed up Nehruvian socialism which has been resoundingly defeated. 2019 also marks the coming of age for the national middle class which can make or break Indian elections. There is a piece of advice which Congress can use. “Pehle Vichaar Hota hai, Vichaar Kee Neev Par Sangathan Banta hai Aur Sangathan ki Buniyad par Satta Miltee Hai." The process seems to be in a reverse mode in Congress. The best example is that of Rahul Gandhi who in 2005 at Hyderabad Plenary said that national flag is his religion. The same man by 2017 became a Janeu Dhari Shiv Bhakta begging the question, which is the real Congress and what does it stands for today. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Rise and fall of Sonia Gandhi

A meeting of the Congress top brass, including Sonia Gandhi and party chief Rahul Gandhi, was held here to decide the strategy on key matters such as Lok Sabha speaker's election and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to discuss the 'one nation, one election' issue.

Sources said the meeting, chaired by Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi and attended by Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, discussed the strategy to be adopted by the party during the meeting called by the prime minister on Wednesday.

Modi has invited heads of all parties who have an MP either in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.

The meeting has been called to discuss the "one nation, one election" issue, celebration of the 75 years of Independence in 2022 and 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary this year. It will be followed by a dinner meeting with all MPs on June 20.

However, Congress leaders said the party was yet to take a decision on the matter.

"The issue of appointment of the leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha was not discussed," said Congress leader from West Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Along with Chowdhury, Kerala unit working president K Suresh, party spokesperson Manish Tewari and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor are in the running for the post, sources said.

They said a decision on it will be taken by Sonia Gandhi soon.&nbsp;

A meeting of the Congress top brass, including Sonia Gandhi and party chief Rahul Gandhi, was held here to decide the strategy on key matters such as Lok Sabha speaker's election and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to discuss the 'one nation, one election' issue.

A meeting of the Congress top brass, including Sonia Gandhi and party chief Rahul Gandhi, was held here to decide the strategy on key matters such as Lok Sabha speaker's election and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to discuss the 'one nation, one election' issue. Sources said the meeting, chaired by Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi and attended by Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, discussed the strategy to be adopted by the party during the meeting called by the prime minister on Wednesday. Modi has invited heads of all parties who have an MP either in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. The meeting has been called to discuss the "one nation, one election" issue, celebration of the 75 years of Independence in 2022 and 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary this year. It will be followed by a dinner meeting with all MPs on June 20. However, Congress leaders said the party was yet to take a decision on the matter. "The issue of appointment of the leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha was not discussed," said Congress leader from West Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Along with Chowdhury, Kerala unit working president K Suresh, party spokesperson Manish Tewari and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor are in the running for the post, sources said. They said a decision on it will be taken by Sonia Gandhi soon.

Ahead of PM Modi's meeting with party chiefs, Congress discusses strategy on key matters

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-reaches-out-to-sonia-gandhi-ahead-of-parliament-session-225236">Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to chair a meeting</a> of her party's Parliament strategy group today to chalk out an approach for the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.

In the meeting, leaders are likely to discuss a common agenda to ensure better floor coordination among the Opposition parties, a source in the party said.

Talking to ANI, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma had earlier given a sense of what will be his party's line during the session. "The government should end the ordinance culture. It should respect the parliamentary process and important bills should be sent to Parliament Committees before being discussed in the house," Sharma had said.

Appointment of the party's leader in the Lok Sabha will also be taken up in the meeting. Though the announcement would be made after the election of Lok Sabha speaker, the above-mentioned source said. Sonia Gandhi holds the authority of appointing the leader of the party in the Lower House.

Congress needs to chalk out a strategy for the first session of Parliament after the elections. The session becomes more important as the Union Budget and some key legislations including the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill will be presented.

Being the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha, Congress has the responsibility to coordinate among the opposition parties to corner the government at various issues. However, it falls short of the required number for the leader of the Opposition post. Congress won a meagre 52 seats in the recently concluded general elections.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to chair a meeting of her party's Parliament strategy group today to chalk out an approach for the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to chair a meeting of her party's Parliament strategy group today to chalk out an approach for the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament. In the meeting, leaders are likely to discuss a common agenda to ensure better floor coordination among the Opposition parties, a source in the party said. Talking to ANI, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma had earlier given a sense of what will be his party's line during the session. "The government should end the ordinance culture. It should respect the parliamentary process and important bills should be sent to Parliament Committees before being discussed in the house," Sharma had said. Appointment of the party's leader in the Lok Sabha will also be taken up in the meeting. Though the announcement would be made after the election of Lok Sabha speaker, the above-mentioned source said. Sonia Gandhi holds the authority of appointing the leader of the party in the Lower House. Congress needs to chalk out a strategy for the first session of Parliament after the elections. The session becomes more important as the Union Budget and some key legislations including the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill will be presented. Being the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha, Congress has the responsibility to coordinate among the opposition parties to corner the government at various issues. However, it falls short of the required number for the leader of the Opposition post. Congress won a meagre 52 seats in the recently concluded general elections.

Sonia Gandhi to chair Congress' Parliamentary strategy meet today

In a bid to infuse fresh energy in the party organisation and with the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in mind, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-to-visit-uttar-pradesh-for-first-time-after-congress-poll-debacle-225817">Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra</a> will increase the frequency of her tours to the state and meet party workers at least twice a week, sources said on Sunday.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh is ready to hit the ground in the state, following the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-reprimands-congress-workers-for-not-giving-their-best-in-lok-sabha-polls-226769">Congress's debacle in the recent Lok Sabha election</a>, in order to strengthen the party organisation in time for the 2022 Assembly polls.

In a bid to ensure direct communication with the party workers, Priyanka Gandhi will meet them twice a week without prior appointments, the sources said.

"It emerged from the review meetings held after the Lok Sabha polls that there should be greater coordination and communication between the leaders and the workers.

For this, it has been decided that Priyanka Gandhi will meet the party workers at least twice a week," a Congress leader said on the condition of anonymity.

"The frequency of her tours to Uttar Pradesh will also increase in the near future," he added.

The plan to step up her Uttar Pradesh tours and establish direct communication with the party workers comes days after Priyanka Gandhi, during a visit to Raebareli, told the workers that they had let down the grand old party in the Lok Sabha polls.

Accompanied by her mother and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who visited her parliamentary constituency last Wednesday, Priyanka Gandhi pulled up the party workers for failing to work for the Congress during the polls.

"I will find out the names of the workers who did not work for the party in the election," she had said, adding that those who had toiled honestly and sincerely for the party knew that from the core of their hearts.

"But those who did not, I will find out their names," she had said.

Priyanka Gandhi, who was appointed as the party general secretary just ahead of the parliamentary polls, had campaigned vigorously for Congress candidates in Uttar Pradesh, especially in Raebareli and Amethi.

But of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the Congress could manage to win only Raebareli. Even party president Rahul Gandhi lost to Union minister Smriti Irani from his family stronghold of Amethi.

Priyanka Gandhi and AICC in-charge of western Uttar Pradesh Jyotiraditya Scindia held review meetings following the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha polls, in which it managed to win 52 seats nationally.

Bypolls are due for 11 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh after the respective MLAs were elected to Parliament.

In a bid to infuse fresh energy in the party organisation and with the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in mind, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will increase the frequency of her tours to the state and meet party workers at least twice a week, sources said on Sunday.

In a bid to infuse fresh energy in the party organisation and with the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in mind, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will increase the frequency of her tours to the state and meet party workers at least twice a week, sources said on Sunday. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh is ready to hit the ground in the state, following the Congress's debacle in the recent Lok Sabha election, in order to strengthen the party organisation in time for the 2022 Assembly polls. In a bid to ensure direct communication with the party workers, Priyanka Gandhi will meet them twice a week without prior appointments, the sources said. "It emerged from the review meetings held after the Lok Sabha polls that there should be greater coordination and communication between the leaders and the workers. For this, it has been decided that Priyanka Gandhi will meet the party workers at least twice a week," a Congress leader said on the condition of anonymity. "The frequency of her tours to Uttar Pradesh will also increase in the near future," he added. The plan to step up her Uttar Pradesh tours and establish direct communication with the party workers comes days after Priyanka Gandhi, during a visit to Raebareli, told the workers that they had let down the grand old party in the Lok Sabha polls. Accompanied by her mother and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who visited her parliamentary constituency last Wednesday, Priyanka Gandhi pulled up the party workers for failing to work for the Congress during the polls. "I will find out the names of the workers who did not work for the party in the election," she had said, adding that those who had toiled honestly and sincerely for the party knew that from the core of their hearts. "But those who did not, I will find out their names," she had said. Priyanka Gandhi, who was appointed as the party general secretary just ahead of the parliamentary polls, had campaigned vigorously for Congress candidates in Uttar Pradesh, especially in Raebareli and Amethi. But of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the Congress could manage to win only Raebareli. Even party president Rahul Gandhi lost to Union minister Smriti Irani from his family stronghold of Amethi. Priyanka Gandhi and AICC in-charge of western Uttar Pradesh Jyotiraditya Scindia held review meetings following the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha polls, in which it managed to win 52 seats nationally. Bypolls are due for 11 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh after the respective MLAs were elected to Parliament.

With eye on 2022, Priyanka Gandhi to step up UP tours, meet Congress workers twice a week

In an outreach exercise before the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Union minister Pralhad Joshi and other senior BJP ministers met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Friday. Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Arjun Meghwal accompanied Joshi, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, for the meeting which lasted around 15 minutes.

"Our meeting with Sonia Gandhi was very cordial. We sought her cooperation for the smooth functioning of Parliament. She said they (opposition) also need cooperation from treasury benches. I told her that the government has always been ready to cooperate," Joshi told reporters after the meeting at her residence.

The senior ministers also met Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha. Sources say the BJP wants to end the logjam in Rajya Sabha which has led to more than three dozen bills not seeing the light of the day. Some of them are in force as ordinance, including the one to ban the practice of instant triple talaq, and government is keen to pass them in the House of Elders.

The ordinances were issued in February-March this year by the previous government.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament begins on June 17. After new MPs take oath on the first two days, the Lok Sabha Speaker's election is scheduled for June 19. The session, the first of the 17th Lok Sabha, will go on till July 26 and the budget will be tabled on July 5.

President Ram Nath Kovind will address a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on June 20.

In an outreach exercise before the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Union minister Pralhad Joshi and other senior BJP ministers met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Friday.

In an outreach exercise before the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Union minister Pralhad Joshi and other senior BJP ministers met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Friday. Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Arjun Meghwal accompanied Joshi, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, for the meeting which lasted around 15 minutes. "Our meeting with Sonia Gandhi was very cordial. We sought her cooperation for the smooth functioning of Parliament. She said they (opposition) also need cooperation from treasury benches. I told her that the government has always been ready to cooperate," Joshi told reporters after the meeting at her residence. The senior ministers also met Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha. Sources say the BJP wants to end the logjam in Rajya Sabha which has led to more than three dozen bills not seeing the light of the day. Some of them are in force as ordinance, including the one to ban the practice of instant triple talaq, and government is keen to pass them in the House of Elders. The ordinances were issued in February-March this year by the previous government. The Monsoon Session of Parliament begins on June 17. After new MPs take oath on the first two days, the Lok Sabha Speaker's election is scheduled for June 19. The session, the first of the 17th Lok Sabha, will go on till July 26 and the budget will be tabled on July 5. President Ram Nath Kovind will address a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on June 20.

Government reaches out to Sonia Gandhi ahead of Parliament session

Congress will prove to be a strong and effective opposition party, that will fight to defend the Constitution of India, said Congress president Rahul Gandhi at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) on Saturday.

''I thought 40 were enough to take on BJP. Now we have 52 MPs. Our MPs will fight BJP every single day,'' said Congress president who was also present at the CPP meet.

''Maybe we will not get enough time in the House but even those two minutes would be enough to put down BJP,'' he added.

Rahul thanked the voters and addressed the Congress party workers, saying, "Every Congress member must remember that each one of you is fighting for the Constitution, for every person in India irrespective of the colour of his skin or belief", party spokesperson Surjewala said.

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Congratulations to Smt Sonia Gandhi on being elected Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party. Under her leadership, the Congress will prove to be a strong &amp; effective opposition party, that will fight to defend the Constitution of India. <a href="https://t.co/iUcdB51tHE">pic.twitter.com/iUcdB51tHE</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1134707876348321793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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''Congratulations to Smt Sonia Gandhi on being elected Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party. Under her leadership, the Congress will prove to be a strong &amp; effective opposition party, that will fight to defend the Constitution of India,'' tweeted Rahul Gandhi after the CPP meeting.

Congress will prove to be a strong and effective opposition party, that will fight to defend the Constitution of India, said Congress president Rahul Gandhi at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) on Saturday.

Congress will prove to be a strong and effective opposition party, that will fight to defend the Constitution of India, said Congress president Rahul Gandhi at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) on Saturday. ''I thought 40 were enough to take on BJP. Now we have 52 MPs. Our MPs will fight BJP every single day,'' said Congress president who was also present at the CPP meet. ''Maybe we will not get enough time in the House but even those two minutes would be enough to put down BJP,'' he added. Rahul thanked the voters and addressed the Congress party workers, saying, "Every Congress member must remember that each one of you is fighting for the Constitution, for every person in India irrespective of the colour of his skin or belief", party spokesperson Surjewala said. Congratulations to Smt Sonia Gandhi on being elected Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party. Under her leadership, the Congress will prove to be a strong & effective opposition party, that will fight to defend the Constitution of India. pic.twitter.com/iUcdB51tHE — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 1, 2019 × ''Congratulations to Smt Sonia Gandhi on being elected Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party. Under her leadership, the Congress will prove to be a strong & effective opposition party, that will fight to defend the Constitution of India,'' tweeted Rahul Gandhi after the CPP meeting.

Congress will fight to defend the Constitution of India: Rahul Gandhi 

UPA chairperson and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was Saturday reelected as leader of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP).

Gandhi was elected as CPP leader at the first meeting of newly elected Congress Lok Sabha MPs began at the Central Hall of Parliament.&nbsp;

Sonia Gandhi is the current chairperson of CPP.

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Smt. Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of Congress Parliamentary Party! 
 
She says, ‘we thank the 12.13 Cr voters for reposing faith in the Congress Party’. <a href="https://t.co/H4z9i3dN8B">pic.twitter.com/H4z9i3dN8B</a>
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) <a href="https://twitter.com/rssurjewala/status/1134692694582800384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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All 52 Lok Sabha MPs of the Congress were present at the meeting, besides its members in the Rajya Sabha, sources said.

Besides electing a new leader, the MPs will chalk out the party's strategy for the upcoming session of Parliament, they said.

They will also elect the Congress leader in Lok Sabha.

This will be the first official meeting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will attend after the May 25 meeting of the party's working committee, where he had offered to quit as Congress chief.&nbsp;

The CWC has already rejected his offer to resign and unanimously passed a resolution authorising him to bring structural changes in the party at all levels in a bid to revamp it.&nbsp;

UPA chairperson and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was Saturday reelected as leader of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP). Gandhi was elected as CPP leader at the first meeting of newly elected Congress Lok Sabha MPs began at the Central Hall of Parliament.

UPA chairperson and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was Saturday reelected as leader of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP). Gandhi was elected as CPP leader at the first meeting of newly elected Congress Lok Sabha MPs began at the Central Hall of Parliament. Sonia Gandhi is the current chairperson of CPP. Smt. Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of Congress Parliamentary Party! She says, ‘we thank the 12.13 Cr voters for reposing faith in the Congress Party’. pic.twitter.com/H4z9i3dN8B — Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) June 1, 2019 × All 52 Lok Sabha MPs of the Congress were present at the meeting, besides its members in the Rajya Sabha, sources said. Besides electing a new leader, the MPs will chalk out the party's strategy for the upcoming session of Parliament, they said. They will also elect the Congress leader in Lok Sabha. This will be the first official meeting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will attend after the May 25 meeting of the party's working committee, where he had offered to quit as Congress chief. The CWC has already rejected his offer to resign and unanimously passed a resolution authorising him to bring structural changes in the party at all levels in a bid to revamp it.

Sonia Gandhi reelected leader of Congress Parliamentary Party

The Congress, with a 52-seat tally in the 543-member Lok Sabha, is three members short of the total that would qualify it for the post of Leader of Opposition. Its poll campaign flopped miserably as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP won an even bigger majority than 2014

Congress Parliamentary party meeting; Likely to elect new President

Newly-elected Lok Sabha MPs of the Congress will meet for the first time on Saturday and are likely to elect the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP).

The CPP is currently chaired by Sonia Gandhi and all 52 Lok Sabha MPs will be present at the meeting, besides its members in the Rajya Sabha, sources said.

The meeting will be held in the central hall of Parliament and MPs will also chalk out its strategy for the upcoming session of Parliament, they said.

In its first meeting after the constitution of the 17th Lok Sabha, the Congress MPs are also likely to elect their leader in the Lower House, the sources said.

They said this will be the first official meeting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will attend after the meeting of the party's working committee held on May 25, where he offered to quit as Congress chief.&nbsp;

The CWC has already rejected his offer to resign and unanimously passed a resolution authorising him to bring structural changes in the party at all levels in a bid to revamp it.&nbsp;

Newly-elected Lok Sabha MPs of the Congress will meet for the first time on Saturday and are likely to elect the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP).

Newly-elected Lok Sabha MPs of the Congress will meet for the first time on Saturday and are likely to elect the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP). The CPP is currently chaired by Sonia Gandhi and all 52 Lok Sabha MPs will be present at the meeting, besides its members in the Rajya Sabha, sources said. The meeting will be held in the central hall of Parliament and MPs will also chalk out its strategy for the upcoming session of Parliament, they said. In its first meeting after the constitution of the 17th Lok Sabha, the Congress MPs are also likely to elect their leader in the Lower House, the sources said. They said this will be the first official meeting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will attend after the meeting of the party's working committee held on May 25, where he offered to quit as Congress chief. The CWC has already rejected his offer to resign and unanimously passed a resolution authorising him to bring structural changes in the party at all levels in a bid to revamp it.

Congress Parliamentary Party to meet on Saturday, likely to elect leader

Sonia Gandhi has been chosen the chairperson of the Congress's elected parliamentarians at the meeting of the party's parliamentary committee this morning. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh proposed her name.

Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of Congress Parliamentary Party

Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi will attend Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bimstec-leaders-invited-for-modis-swearing-in-ceremony-222056">Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony</a>&nbsp;for the second term on May 30.

The ceremony will be a grand event with the presence of many world leaders, politicians and celebrities. It will take place at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7pm.

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi to also attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath ceremony tomorrow. <a href="https://t.co/lpb1mwi8MR">https://t.co/lpb1mwi8MR</a>
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Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a clear majority with 303 seats, which is 22 more than its 2014 tally. Along with its allies, the NDA stands at 352 in the 17th Lok Sabha.

Watch:&nbsp;Rahul adamant on resignation, wants a non-Gandhi as next Congress president

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At the same time, Congress suffered a crushing defeat and since then the party is in existential crisis. Many ministers have quit the party over their failure in the Lok Sabha elections.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-workers-gather-outside-rahul-gandhis-residence-urging-him-not-to-resign-222563">Congress president had offered to step down</a> from the party post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held last Saturday, taking moral responsibility for Congress' dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

However, Rahul's offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi will attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony for the second term on May 30. The ceremony will be a grand event with the presence of many world leaders, politicians and celebrities.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi will attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony for the second term on May 30. The ceremony will be a grand event with the presence of many world leaders, politicians and celebrities. It will take place at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7pm. Congress President Rahul Gandhi to also attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath ceremony tomorrow. https://t.co/lpb1mwi8MR — ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2019 × Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a clear majority with 303 seats, which is 22 more than its 2014 tally. Along with its allies, the NDA stands at 352 in the 17th Lok Sabha. Watch: Rahul adamant on resignation, wants a non-Gandhi as next Congress president At the same time, Congress suffered a crushing defeat and since then the party is in existential crisis. Many ministers have quit the party over their failure in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress president had offered to step down from the party post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held last Saturday, taking moral responsibility for Congress' dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections. However, Rahul's offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.

Rahul, Sonia Gandhi to attend Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony

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