Leader of Congress in Lower House of the Parliament Mallikarjun Kharge today hosted a dinner for party MPs of both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha a day before Winter Session comes to an end tomorrow.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior leaders Ahmed Patel, Digvijay Singh, Anand Sharma, P J Kurien and NCP leader Tariq Anwar were present.
Such a dinner is usually hosted by party president Sonia Gandhi who is also the chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party. The Congress president, however, could not do it this time as she is unwell.
Kharge could not get the Leader of Opposition status in Lok Sabha as Congress has only 44 members in the Lower House.
The party failed to fulfill the criteria for getting LoP status for its leader in the House because it did not have at least 10 per cent member of the total strength of the Lok Sabha which has 545 members.
Congress, however, got the LoP status for Azad in Rajya Sabha where it has the requisite numbers.
The fact that Kharge has hosted this dinner is being interpreted in the party circles as his growing importance.
The dinner invite was sent to the party MPs on behalf of Kharge by chief whip in Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Many sumptuous veg and non-veg was served at the dinner where Rahul Gandhi shared the table with Manmohanan Singh, P J Kurien, Kharge and Azad.
