Minus Rahul, Congress leaders meet on leader in LS

With just five days left for Parliament's budget session to start, top Congress leaders barring its President Rahul Gandhi met here on Wednesday to decide on its leader and chief whip in the Lok Sabha.

According to party sources, the Congress Core Committee members who met included Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Mallikarjuna Kharge, K.C. Venugopal, P. Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and A.K. Antony.

Party leader and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is now in Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh from where she was re-elected to the Lok Sabha -- the only Congress victory in the state. Rahul Gandhi is in Delhi.

The source said that the leaders will decide on who will lead the Congress in the Lok Sabha besides the post of chief whip.

The Congress has also to make key appointments to the parliamentary party.

Earlier, Sonia Gandhi was elected the Congress Parliamentary Party leader in the Lok Sabha for a second time.

Also on the agenda of the core committee is Rahul Gandhi's insistence on stepping down from the presidency following the party's rout in the general elections.

The source said the leaders will explore the options of a Presidium system or having several Working Presidents -- in place of one President.

The source said the party will prepare a roadmap to contest the Assembly elections in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Haryana.

--IANS

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