Senior Congress leaders Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari, both members of a group pushing for internal reforms, met party chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, underlining the growing engagement between the so-called G-23 and the party leadership. The meeting, which came days after Gandhi met Ghulam Nabi Azad, another G-23 member, happened in the context of the ongoing changes in the party organisation and the proposed revamp during internal elections due in August.
The meeting assumes importance as Sharma’s current term in the Rajya Sabha is coming to an end, though Congress leaders categorically denied that Sharma’s continuation in the Upper House was discussed at the meeting. But a party functionary added that at least one top G-23 leader will be accommodated in the Upper House from Rajasthan, where the Congress is expected to win two biennial seats this year.
While Sharma and Tewari are believed to have given concrete suggestions to strengthen the party organisation after the latest poll debacle, the mood of the meeting was conciliatory, said leaders aware of the details. “A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since the first letter. It’s a constructive meeting to discuss the issues surrounding the recent poll debacle. We are working to strengthen the party organisation,” said a prominent G-23 leader.
