Congress leaders, PM Modi greet Sonia Gandhi on her 77th birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on her 77th birthday.

"Best wishes to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji on her birthday. May she be blessed with a long and healthy life," the Prime Minister said in a post on 'X' on Saturday.

Modi's wishes come at a time when the Congress just lost three Hindi heartland states in the recently concluded Assembly polls, and the crucial Lok Sabha elections are just six months away.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also took to 'X' to extend his wishes to the former party president. Kharge described her as a "relentless advocate of the rights of the marginalised."

"Greetings to Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji on her birthday. A relentless advocate of the rights of the marginalised, she has been a symbol of utmost grace while battling adversity with courage, grit and selfless sacrifice. I wish her a long and healthy life," Kharge said in her post on 'X'.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal also wished Sonia Gandhi on her birthday lauding her for the "upliftment" of the poor and marginalised sections of society.

"My best wishes to CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji on her birthday! Her commitment to public service and the upliftment of the poor and marginalised sections of society have won a billion hearts," Venugopal said in a post on 'X'.

On her political journey, the Congress leader said, "Her life journey is an inspiration for us all. She steered the Congress through an extremely challenging period with great poise and was the architect of the UPA government that delivered welfare for all and exponential growth for the country."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wished the veteran Congress leader as well.

"Birthday greetings to Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Madam Sonia Gandhi, an exemplar of devoted public life. Wishing her a long life filled with good health," Stalin said.

On Sonia's contribution to strengthening the opposition alliance, the Chief Minister said, "May her profound vision and wealth of experience continue to be a guiding light in our united endeavour to save #INDIA from autocratic forces."

Sonia was last seen at the swearing-in ceremony of Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, the only state the Congress bagged in the recent assembly elections. She had also called a Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group meeting on Monday evening to chalk out the strategy for the winter session of Parliament.

Gandhi -- the longest serving Congress president -- has taken a backseat from active politics in the last few years for health reasons, with her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra taking up key roles in the party.