Congress Party Parliamentary committee on Saturday elected Sonia Gandhi as its chairperson. It met at the Central Hall of Parliament. Her name was proposed by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Meanwhile, the Congress Party is three members short of the figure that would qualify it for the post of the Leader of the Opposition. The rout in the recently held Lok Sabha elections has left the party with 52 lawmakers - marginally higher than the figure of 44 in 2014.

Addressing the meeting, Sonia said:

“In an unprecedented crisis, lies an unprecedented opportunity. It is up to us to grasp it with humility and self-confidence, drawing the appropriate lessons from our defeat. The people of India expect us to honour their mandate by renewing and reinvigorating ourselves. Undeterred by the many challenges that lie ahead, we will rise again.”