In a unanimous decision, Sonia Gandhi has been re-elected as the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson. Her nomination was proposed by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and seconded by leaders such as Gaurav Gogoi, Tariq Anwar, and K Sudhakaran.
Sonia Gandhi, a Rajya Sabha member, expressed her gratitude and praised the party’s resilience during the general elections in her re-election speech. She acknowledged the challenges faced by the Indian National Congress, stating, “It was up against a mighty and malevolent machine that was doing its utmost to destroy us. It tried to cripple us financially. It carried out a campaign against us and our leaders that was full of lies and defamation. Many wrote our obituaries.” She also commended Kharge’s leadership, calling him an inspiration and highlighting his extraordinary commitment to the party.
Kharge also expressed his satisfaction with Gandhi’s re-election, stating, “It is good she has been re-elected as CPP and she will keep guiding us.” Shashi Tharoor echoed this sentiment, saying, “I think there was not even a question about it. We all wanted her back. She has been leading and guiding the party for a very long time and there was no question of any other name being considered.”
Additionally, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) passed a resolution earlier today to appoint party MP Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. In the recent Lok Sabha polls, Congress increased its seat total from 52 in 2019 to 100, making it the second-largest party.
Notable leaders such as UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and KC Venugopal attended the CWC meeting at the central hall of the Parliament. Other prominent attendees included Karti Chidambaram, Rajiv Shukla, Randeep Surjewala, Ajay Maken, former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, and Shashi Tharoor.
In his opening remarks at the CWC meeting, Kharge reflected on the party’s revival, noting that while there were successes, the party did not perform to its full potential in some states. He emphasized the public’s rejection of the ruling party’s autocratic and anti-democratic ways, stating, “People have spoken against the dictatorial and anti-democratic ways of the ruling party. It is a decisive rejection of the politics of the last 10 years. It is a rejection of the politics of divisiveness, hate, and polarization.”
