A day after the meeting of the Congress party's Group of 23, former party president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met Bhupinder Singh Hooda and is learnt to have discussed revamping the party and the way forward after defeat in recently-concluded Assembly elections.
G-23 is a group of senior but disgruntled and dissenting party leaders who have advocated an overhaul of the Congress party. Kapil Sibal has even suggested that the Nehru-Gandhi family should step down from the party leadership.
Following the meeting, Hooda, a former chief minister of Haryana, visited Ghulam Nabi Azad. It was at Azad's residence that G-23 had held its recent meeting in which they said a "model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision-making at all levels" is required in Congress. Sources told PTI that Deputy Leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha and another G-23 leader Anand Sharma also joined Hooda at Azad's residence in their discussions.
Rahul Gandhi's meeting with Hooda is significant in the context of the G-23 statement and the telephonic conversation Azad had with Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday to convey the intentions of the meeting at his residence. Sources said Azad was likely to meet Sonia Gandhi with proposals soon and discussions were underway on course correction within the party.
Following Congress's defeat in five states, party chief Sonia Gandhi had asked for the resignations of the heads of five state party units. Priynaka Gandhi has also met party leaders in Uttar Pradesh in which she is reviewing the party's dismal performance.
With PTI inputs
