Amid the ongoing rift in the Punjab Congress unit, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has called a meeting of the state's Congress Legislative Party.
The Congress on Friday called senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation 'unfortunate' and termed the timing 'awful', saying it has come at a time when the party is engaged in combating the Bharatiya Janata Party on various issues.
The Delhi Mahila Congress chief was expelled for six years from the party for undertaking anti-party activities.
A senior party leader on the condition of anonymity said the CWC meeting will be called next week although the agenda is to be worked out and finalised.
Top Congress leaders are learnt to be discussing the current political situation.
In the wake of several Congress leaders quitting the party and its Punjab unit in turmoil, Sibal demanded that an immediate meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) be convened and wondered who in the party was taking decisions in the absence of a full-time president.
She alleged the new military recruitment scheme would be destructive for the youth and the Army.
Beset by troubles on multiple fronts within, the Congress faces the danger of imploding with party veterans Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal on Wednesday sharply questioning the decision-making process, saying there are 'no monopolies', and demanded convening an urgent meeting of the Congress Working Committee for a 'dialogue'.
The Congress has accused Twitter of acting against Gandhi's account under pressure from the government.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and senior leader Jairam Ramesh were among the 10 candidates elected to the Rajya Sabha on Friday from Karnataka, Rajasthan and Haryana, while counting was underway in Maharashtra after an eight-hour delay due to wrangling by rival parties over alleged breach of voting rules.
BJP MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore alleged that the phone tapping of public representatives allegedly by CM Ashok Gehlot-led government has broken the trust of the people and extended an invite to all those with 'India first' ideology to join the BJP, fuelling speculations of Sachin Pilot joining the ruling party at the Centre.
Addressing a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting at a resort in Jaisalmer, he said, "We are all democracy warriors. We are going to win this war and also win the (assembly) election after three-and-a-half years."
The Congress Working Committee, the party's top-decision making body, would soon meet to deliberate further on the Chintan Shivir plans, the sources said.
Congress leader Ajay Maken on Monday dubbed Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi as "opportunists" who "used" Anna Hazare to meet their own political ambitions.
'My vote has gone for better education, health, and jobs for the youth, as I am one'
Attacking the Modi government, Sonia said it has sought to erode our institutions.
With Rahul Gandhi slamming the ordinance against the disqualification of convicted lawmakers, the government is expected to take back the controversial measure, Congress indicated on Friday.
Attacked Modi only on party orders says Jayanthi Natrajan.
The Congresshas announced a three-phased campaign, "Mehngai-mukt Bharat Abhiyaan".
Gambhir has replaced Maheish Girri as the party's candidate and will take on Arvinder Singh Lovely of the Congress and Atishi of the Aam Aadmi Party.
Rediff.com lists Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 23 Cabinet ministers and their educational qualifications.
The Shiv Sena has spurned Congress' request to participate in the bandh.
Surjewala said that the legislators should first hold a dialogue with the party on the condition that they give up the security of Haryana police in Manesar, and the hospitality and friendship of the BJP.
P Chidambaram and Rajeev Shukla of the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party's Sumitra Valmiki and Kavita Patidar, former Congress leader Kapil Sibal, Rashtriya Janata Dal's Misa Bharti and Jayant Chaudhary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal were among the 41 winners declared elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha.
Earlier in the day, heavy traffic congestion was reported in places such as Rani Jhansi Road, Qutub Road, Old Iron Bridge, Kishan Ganj Road and Lajpat Nagar Metro Station.
From the 'group of 23' leaders, who had written letter to Gandhi seeking Congress' overhaul, Azad and Sharma continue to be regular members of the CWC,
The Union Home Ministry is looking into Sports Minister Ajay Maken's demand to include sports excellence as an area of recognition for the Bharat Ratna.
Rahul has been impressed by the way former Union minister C P Joshi uses the computer to cull out figures and facts.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi also decided to convene a 'Chintan Shivir', a brainstorming session from May 13-15 in Udaipur.
With an aim of expanding the party's base, Congress on Monday launched an online and application-based membership drive.
All 41 candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Telangana were elected unopposed on Friday after the biennial elections to 57 Rajya Sabha seats were announced recently.
State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara said in a tweet, 'Tomorrow, Congress workers will protest in front of Raj Bhawans as part of 'Save Democracy-Save Constitution' agitation call. But, in Rajasthan we will not do anything like that.'
The CLP meeting began about three hours later than scheduled, with ministers and MLAs flashed victory signs for the cameras.
Reacting sharply to Congress leader Ajay Maken's comments on Human Resource Development minister Smriti Irani's educational qualifications, senior Cabinet colleague Uma Bharti on Wednesday targeted Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The much talked about reshuffle of the Union Cabinet will take place on Monday, ahead of which C P Joshi and Ajay Maken stepped down as Cabinet ministers. Both Joshi and Maken had handed over their resignations on Saturday night. Their resignations were today accepted by President Pranab Mukherjee with immediate effect, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said.
Congress jolted by SP move in Uttar Pradesh.
Congress general secretary Ajay Maken talks to rediff.com's Anita Katyal about the road ahead for the Congress and the UPA government.
This could bring down the average approval time from the current 196 days to 45-60 days.
Sending out a clear message to Congress ranks, Sonia said the party will have to change its style of functioning with changing times and urged them to keep the organisation above their personal ambitions.
Dismissing the talk about early elections, the Congress said the food security measure is a game changer that will provide right to cheap food grains to 82 crore people.
