Sign of truce in Cong: Rahul, Ghulam Nabi Azad seen together

New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Ghulam Nabi Azad were together in two programmes of the party -- first in the photo exhibition of Bangladesh War and second during the delegation meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind.

The 'perfect picture' is a sign of relief for the party ahead of the Congress working committee meeting (CWC) which is slated on Saturday. Azad was the one who wrote to interim chief Sonia Gandhi to call the CWC meet.

The truce is being worked out behind the scenes with Priyanaka Gandhi VAdra leading the charge of reaching out to the leaders from the G-23.

Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath has been talking to the dissenting group and Priyanka has also been trying to reach out to the G-23 by involving Bhupinder Hooda's son Deepender Hooda with her protest on Lakhimpur Kheri violence. She also took the junior Hooda to Varanasi for her rally.

The sign of truce emerged from the Congress delegation heading to meet President Ram Nath Kovind to submit a memorandum on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. The delegation included Ghulam Nabi Azad along with Rahul Gandhi, which is rare since the G-23 wrote the letter a year ago. Azad is one among the G-23 leaders.

The Congress has been mired with internal rift since August 2020 last year when a letter was written to Sonia Gandhi for visible and effective leadership. Last month Ghulam Nabi Azad again wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi for calling CWC meet, and now the Congress high command has called the meeting on October 16.

Senior party leader Kapil Sibal had recently said: "There is no president in our party, so we do not know who is taking all the decisions. We know it, yet we don't know, one of my senior colleagues perhaps has written or is about to write to the interim president to immediately convene a CWC meeting so that a dialogue can be initiated."

But after the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, the G-23 has toned down its statements. One of the G-23 leaders Anand Sharma has been all praise for the Gandhis. He has commended Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka's "courageous act of compassion and solidarity with farmers whose sons were killed".