G-23 leader Ghulam Nabi Azad met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday, a day after members of the dissenting group held a flurry of meetings over measures to revamp the party.
After the Group of 23 pitched for an "inclusive and collective leadership" in the Congress, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, one of its members, met Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and the two leaders were learnt to have discussed a revamp of the party organisation, a key demand of the dissenters.
The meetings are being seen as an attempt by the Gandhi family to reach out to the G-23, which has shown signs of increasing aggression on the leadership issue after Congress' abject loss in the assembly elections in five states.
Earlier on Friday, Azad also met veteran Congress leader Karan Singh and said he come to greet Singh on Holi.
Rahul Gandhi, a former Congress president, had called Hooda for a discussion on the political situation in Haryana. However, the discussion spilled over to the party's abysmal performance in the elections.
Sonia Gandhi had earlier reached out to Azad on Wednesday ahead of the G-23 dinner meeting at his residence.
The leaders of the grouping have since held a series of meetings at Azad's residence.
The party leadership wants to resolve the differences with the G-23 and is reaching out to its leaders. It is learnt to have deputed some senior leaders for parleys with the dissenting group to resolve the differences, according to sources.
Ghulam Nabi Azad File Picture
Days after its election debacle in five states, the Congress' top decision-making body on Sunday had unanimously decided that party president Sonia Gandhi will continue as interim chief till the organisational polls are held and urged her to effect immediate corrective changes to meet the political challenges.
During the nearly five-hour-long meeting of the Congress Working Committee, party chief Sonia Gandhi said she was ready to make "any and every sacrifice" that the party workers and the CWC wish, after which the CWC reposed full faith in her, according to some party leaders who participated in the deliberations.
Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said every Congress worker wants Rahul Gandhi to lead the party, but as the process of the organisational polls is underway, the next president will be decided through that process.
Amid calls for large-scale reforms to revive the party's dwindling electoral fortunes, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, at a press conference after the CWC meeting, said the party president will immediately take up corrective measures to revamp and re-strengthen the organisation.
The Congress will hold a 'Chintan Shivir (brainstorming session)' after the Budget Session of Parliament and the CWC will meet again before that, Venugopal said. The session is scheduled to end on April 8.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot suggested that the 'Chintan Shivir be held in his state.
Sonia Gandhi listened to all leaders at the CWC meet and said she is willing to make required changes to strengthen the party, sources said.