Ghulam Nabi Azad meets Sonia Gandhi, says `shared some suggestions to strengthen Congress`

Ghulam Nabi Azad said, `The meeting with Sonia Gandhi was good. All members of the Congress party decided unanimously that she should continue as the president, we just had some suggestions that were shared.`

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Friday (March 18) that he shared some suggestions with party chief Sonia Gandhi during his meeting at her residence. 

Amid G-23 leaders’ call for revamp in Congress following the poll debacle in five states, Azad met Gandhi at 10 Janpath to resolve the inner conflict in the party. 

“The meeting with Sonia Gandhi was good. All members of the Congress party decided unanimously that she should continue as the president, we just had some suggestions that were shared,” Azad was quoted as saying by ANI. 

Azad said he also discussed fighting the forthcoming elections unitedly. "Mrs Gandhi keeps having discussions with leaders to strengthen the organisation. A few days ago the working committee had met and suggestions were asked as to how to strengthen the Congress party and what were the reasons for the defeat (in five assembly polls). I had also given my suggestions," Azad added. 

Earlier on Thursday, former Haryana Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda had met Rahul Gandhi. Hooda, a G-23 leader, was the first to reach out to the top Congress brass after the group's meeting at Azad`s residence in New Delhi on Wednesday. As per PTI sources, Rahul Gandhi had inquired about the meeting of the G-23 leaders and their resolution. Hooda and Gandhi also discussed a revamp of the party organisation, sources said. 

After the meeting at Azad's residence on Wednesday, the G-23 leaders had called for an "inclusive and collective leadership" in the Congress. Releasing a joint statement, the dissident group leaders had said, "In order to oppose BJP, it is necessary to strengthen the Congress party. We demand the Congress party to initiate dialogue with other like-minded forces to create a platform to pave way for a credible alternative for 2024."

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, had held a nearly five-hour-long meeting on March 13 to discuss the poll defeat. The party had put its weight behind Sonia Gandhi to continue to lead the party till organisational polls are held. 

(With agency inputs)