Congress Will be Effective Oppn Party Under Sonia Gandhi, Says Rahul After MPs Elect Their Leader

New Delhi: After UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was elected leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), party President Rahul Gandhi said that under her leadership the Congress will prove to be a strong opposition.

"Congratulations to Sonia Gandhi on being elected Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party. Under her leadership, the Congress will prove to be a strong and effective opposition party, that will fight to defend the Constitution of India," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet.

His remarks came soon after Sonia Gandhi was chosen CPP leader unanimously by the newly elected Lok Sabha members of the party during their first meeting here on Saturday.

The CPP met here at the central hall of Parliament amid continuing upheaval as Rahul Gandhi has been adamant about stepping down following the party's 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 Gandhi to decide on it.

Sonia Gandhi 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 Gandhi's name was proposed by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Sonia Gandhi was party president till 2017 for 19 long years before passing the baton to son Rahul Gandhi.

"Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of Congress Parliamentary Party! She says, I thank the 12.13 crore voters for reposing faith in the Congress Party'," tweeted Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala. After the meeting, Surjewala told media persons, "She accepted the mandate given the people of the country to the party."

Surjewala said that during the meeting, Sonia Gandhi said the party MPs will keep on raising the voice of the people in both Houses of Parliament. Asked who will lead the party in the Lok Sabha, Surjewala said, "There is a constitution for Parliamentary party and Sonia Gandhi will decide on the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha."

To a question about what Rahul Gandhi said during the meeting, Surjewala said, "He thanked the voters, party workers and leaders and leaders of the ally parties for supporting the party in the Lok Sabha elections." He said, "Rahul Gandhi had said that all the 52 Lok Sabha MPs and Rajya Sabha MPs will raise the voice of all citizens in Parliament."

Earlier, Surjewala took to Twitter and said,"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."