The Congress leadership appears to have succeeded in averting a crisis by stressing the importance of unity and striving to erase the perceived old-versus-young line that has generated distrust and unease in the party.

At a meeting of the top leadership where the “Group of 23” leaders who had written to Sonia Gandhi about a drift in the party were present, the Congress president forcefully argued that difference of perception in a big family like the Congress’s must not be taken as antagonism and everybody should come together to strengthen the party at this critical juncture when the country is grappling with an unprecedented social and political challenge.

Rahul Gandhi echoed the sentiment, rubbishing the perception that he was against senior leaders.

The former Congress chief made an emotional appeal to the seniors not to pay attention to rumours, explaining that he respected them not only because of their experience and contribution to the party but also because they had worked with his father, Rajiv Gandhi. This was received by the so-called dissenters with gratitude as they too wondered why such an artificial line dividing the party into two groups had been drawn.

“We are not rebels or dissenters. Writing a letter to the party president is not a crime,” was the refrain from them.

These leaders are not dissatisfied with the meeting though they concede that a lot has to be done at the organisational level to address the concerns raised by them. They all reiterated at the meeting that they had full faith in the leadership of Sonia and Rahul and the attempts to create rifts were condemnable. Nobody was critical of Rahul’s role in the recent months and everybody appreciated Sonia’s call for working with unity to strengthen the party.

There was no discussion on the question of the next party president. A section of the media erroneously created an impression that Rahul had agreed to return as Congress chief.

A senior leader who was present at the meeting told The Telegraph: “We don’t know where from this information came. Some leaders did try to raise the subject, asking Rahulji to return as party president. But Rahulji himself said this meeting was not for electing the party president. He said the agenda was to discuss ways of strengthening the party.”

Sources recounted that Rahul also said it was not important what post he held as the main purpose was to revive the party and work together with everybody to achieve that objective. Except a few leaders, nobody referred to the question of Rahul’s return or the leadership crisis. It was clarified at the meeting that the process to elect the new party president had been set in motion and there was nothing more to be done about that.

The so-called dissenters stuck to their position about organisational infirmities and referred to the debacle in the Bihar Assembly elections and the recent bypolls in some states including Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Suggestions for election to party posts, from district-level office-bearers to the Congress Working Committee, and the constitution of a parliamentary board were also made. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stressed the need for a public outreach, arguing that revival was difficult unless the party leaders stepped out to work among the people.

The immediate outcome is doubtless the breaking of ice, of dissolution of the “us-and-them” binary that has troubled the Congress for the past few months.

Veterans like Kamal Nath and Ashok Gehlot have worked hard to bridge the communication gap and convince the seniors that there was no move to isolate them. The controversy might have rubbed the message in yet again that the party cannot be run by younger leaders and there can be no agenda against the experienced, entrenched forces.

The meetings will continue and Sonia will discuss organisational and political issues with other groups, including office-bearers, in the coming days. The focus, apart from organisational changes, will be on the coming Assembly elections. A proposal for holding a Shimla and Panchmarhi-like brainstorming session is also under consideration.