Sonia Gandhi hosts dinner for party MPs and leaders

Congress President Sonia Gandhi hosted a dinner for members of Parliament (MPs) from the party at her 10, Janpath, residence in New Delhi on Monday. Present on the occasion were Union ministers and All India Congress Committee general secretaries.

Party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was also present.

The interaction with party MPs is being seen as a morale booster for partymen, as they proceed to their constituencies to prepare for the general elections.

The just concluded 15th Lok Sabha wasn't too favourable for the United Progressive Alliance, as it faced a series of corruption scams, electoral reversals in several states and miffed coalition partners.

The Congress is passing through a phase of transition, as Sonia Gandhi hands over day-to-day responsibilities to son and party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.

Though official decision making is still carried out in the name of the party president, crucial decisions such as those on ticket selection, alliances and legislation bear Rahul Gandhi's stamp.

Several disgruntled senior leaders have been voicing a sense of being sidelined by the party's young guns.