Rahul Gandhi meets Sharad Pawar in New Delhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi met NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday at latter's residence here.

Earlier in the day, he also met Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy who is in the national capital for attending the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The chief minister told ANI, "I have asked him (Rahul) to not resign."

Rahul and his mother UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will also participate in the ceremony which will be attended by several world leaders. Head of states of BIMSETC countries have been invited. Besides that, all Chief Ministers and Governors of the states have been invited for the swearing-in ceremony.

Rahul had offered to step down from the post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, taking moral responsibility for the party's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

His resignation was rejected "unanimously" by the CWC members who authorised him to do a complete overhaul and restructuring of the party at every level.

The Congress president, who won the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, lost to BJP's Smriti Irani from Amethi parliamentary constituency which was considered a stronghold of the party.