We have 52 lawmakers in Parl, will fight BJP every day: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday re-elected Sonia Gandhi as the Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party on Saturday. Sonia Gandhi’s name was proposed by former prime minister Manmohan Singh and seconded by Jharkhand MP Jothimani S and Kerala MP K Sudhakaran.

In address to the lawmakers, Rahul Gandhi said the party still has 52 lawmakers in Parliament and "will fight the BJP every day". 

Rahul Gandhi thanked the voters and Congress workers. “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,” he said.

Photo: ANI | Twitter

The meeting was attended by the 52 newly-elected Lok Sabha members of the Congress along with its Rajya Sabha members at the Central Hall of Parliament.

Photo: ANI | Twitter

"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'," Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted.

In her speech after being elected the CPP leader, she called upon party MPs not to let their guard down and urged them to play the role of an effective opposition and ensure better coordination and cooperation with like-minded parties in Rajya Sabha.

She told the members that the issues they raise in Parliament must resonate in the minds of the party workers and with the public. She also said that the party will play a constructive role in supporting the government in reform measures but will oppose it for it "divisive and regressive actions".

"In this time of crisis, we must acknowledge the numerous challenges confronting the Congress party. The Congress Working Committee met a few days ago to deliberate the next steps and the way forward for us. Several decisive measures to strengthen the party are being discussed," she told the MPs and leaders, while hinting at changes in the party that are in the offing.

This was the first official meeting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi attended after the CWC meeting on May 25, where he offered to resign from the post of Congress chief.

Read | Congress Parliamentary Party to meet today, likely to elect leader

The CWC, however, rejected his offer and unanimously passed a resolution authorising him to bring structural changes in the party.

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