Sonia Gandhi calls meeting of Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group: Strategy for Budget Session chalked out

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi (File image: PTI)

Live: Strategy for Budget Session chalked out

The meeting today discussed the Congress’ strategy for the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament. Among the topics agreed upon was working in coordination with other like-minded parties to raise issues of public importance.

-- Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters after the meeting: “We discussed the issues to be raised during the session starting March 14. We will work in coordination with other like-minded parties to raise issues of public importance during the session.

Kharge added that among various issues to be raised during the session include evacuation and safety of Indian students in Ukraine, inflation, unemployment, labour matters, MSP for farmers as promised by the government.

-- Attendees included Anand Sharma, Jairam Ramesh, K Suresh, Manickam Tagore and Manish Tewari.

-- Notably, ameeting of the Congress Parliamentary strategy group is held before every session of Parliament. The second part of the Budget session starts on March 14 and will continue till April 8.

-- Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Anand Sharma, K Suresh & Jairam Ramesh arrived at 10, Janpath, for Congress parliamentary strategy group meeting. The meeting is to chalk out strategy for second part of Budget session of Parliament commencing tomorrow, says K Suresh. The meeting was rescheduled to 10 am from 10.30, sources told ANI. (ANI)

Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has called for a meeting of the party's parliamentary strategy group today at 10 Janpath, sources told News18.

On March 12, the publication also reported that Gandhi will also chair a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) today to “take stock” of the poll debacle in the five states which had their Assembly Elections in February and March — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur.

The parliamentary strategy group meeting is expected to have a similar agenda.

Expectations

— Corrective measures after the latest round of losses and failure to make a mark in Kerala, Assam, and West Bengal. But the high command had done little to nothing on that front.

— Discussions that there should be no more delay in electing the new president of the party.

— Sources added that the post of president is “necessary to fix the accountability” for the poll debacle and urgent changes are required in the composition of the CWC.

CWC takes onus

The meeting with the CWC will be held in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office at 4pm today. Sources said the CWC will “take responsibility for the party’s loss in the poll-bound states” and the meeting outcome could also include announcement of fresh committee elections.

Earlier, reports also claimed the meeting could see Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi hang up their boots from India’s grand old party — a claim that was strongly and swiftly refuted by the INC.

The news story of alleged resignations being carried on NDTV based on unnamed sources is completely unfair, mischievous and incorrect.

It is unfair for a TV channel to carry such unsubstantiated propaganda stories emanating from imaginary sources at the instance of ruling BJP.

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) March 12, 2022

The incumbent Congress was trashed by the Aam Admi Party (AAP) in Punjab and saw poor performance in the other four states too. The meeting is expected to “take stock” of what happened and the way forward.

Meetings to discuss drubbing

Calls for an “organisational overhaul” in the Congress have been gaining momentum, with the latest defeats raising the crescendo. Senior party leaders, including Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari, Anand Sharma, and Akhilesh Prasad Singh also met at the residence of senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to discuss their strategy ahead of the crucial CWC meeting. Others also joined virtually.

(With inputs from PTI)