New Congress MPs will work as a pride of lions, says Rahul

Congress president Rahul Gandhi yesterday asserted that his party’s 52 newly elected Lok Sabha members would work like a “pride of lions” to protect the constitution and institutions.“The Congress may have just 52 Lok Sabha members, but we will work together like a pride of brave hearted lions to protect our constitution and institutions, and to fearlessly do our duty as the leading opposition party. The BJP will have no walkover in parliament,” Gandhi tweeted attaching photographs with the newly elected Congress MPs.Earlier during the day he met all the new party MPs at the residence of his mother and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi. His sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present.All the Congress Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members also posed for a group photo after the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting.Earlier Sonia was elected CPP leader unanimously.The CPP met at the central hall of Parliament, amid continuing upheaval in the party as Rahul has been adamant on stepping down following a huge debacle in last month’s Lok Sabha polls.However, suspense over the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha continued as the party has authorised Sonia to decide on it.Sonia won the Rae Bareli seat from Uttar Pradesh by defeating the BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh by over 1.67 lakh votes.According to party leaders, Sonia’s name was proposed by former prime minister Manmohan Singh.Meanwhile, the Congress said it may not contest 11 assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh that have been necessitated after 11 legislators from the state won the Lok Sabha polls.Majority of the party leaders feel that the party should avoid contesting the by-elections until its organisation strength right from the booth level has improved.A group of former Congress legislators and leaders have sent a letter to Rahul, urging him to concentrate on building up the party organisation before contesting the elections.In other developments, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot yesterday rejected the resignation of a minister taking moral responsibility for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in his constituency by over one lakh votes.