Sonia Gandhi re-elected the Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party
What's the story
Sonia Gandhi has been re-elected as the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) on Saturday. Newly-elected Congress Lok Sabha MPs, as well as the Rajya Sabha members, met for the first time today to elect the leader of the CPP. Notably, this was Sonia's son and Congress President Rahul Gandhi's first official meeting since he offered to resign from the post. Here's more.
Twitter Post
Sonia elected as the CPP leader
#Visuals Sonia Gandhi has been elected as Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP). pic.twitter.com/hDapq8FkJ3
— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2019
Information
Congress 3 seats short to qualify for Leader of Opposition
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Congress won only 52 of 543 seats and is short of three seats to qualify for Leader of the Opposition post. The party's election campaign failed as PM Narendra Modi-led BJP won with an even bigger majority than 2014.
Proposal
Former PM Manmohan Singh proposed Sonia's name as CPP leader
At the meeting of the Congress MPs, former PM Manmohan Singh proposed Sonia's name for the post of CPP leader. The Congress, at least, reportedly debated the possibility of Rahul being the leader of the party in the Parliament. Earlier, at the Congress Working Committee held on May 25, Rahul said that he wouldn't continue as the party president after its poll debacle.
Information
Leaders placing sons over party interests cost Congress heavily
To recall, at the Congress Working Committee meeting on May 25, Rahul also offered "unfiltered opinion" of the party's veteran leaders who placed their sons over party interests during the elections. He reportedly said that this cost the Congress heavily in polls.
Crisis
Rahul firm on resigning as the Congress chief
Meanwhile, despite efforts to change his mind, Rahul wants to quit as the Congress chief and even refused to meet party members over the same. Several state units of Congress passed "resolutions", urging the party president to not resign. Congress faced such leadership crisis in 1999 when Sonia quit after three senior leaders objected to her leadership; she, however, took back her resignation later.