Sonia Gandhi hosts dinner for party MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

NEW DELHI: Congress President Sonia Gandhi tonight hosted a dinner for party MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha which was attended by Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders.

It was the first informal gathering of party leaders since Rahul came back on April 15 after his nearly two-month break from politics.

Both the Congress President and the Vice President were seen chatting with senior leaders throughout the one hour-long duration of the dinner.

A number of young MPs clicked photographs with the Gandhis on the occasion.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party veteran Karan Singh and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were seated with Sonia.

Ambika Soni, Digvijay Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Ranjeeta Ranjan were sitting with Rahul along with some other leaders.

A K Antony, Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Motilal Vora, Janardan Dwivedi and K Rahman Khan were also present.

The meeting was convened at a time when Rahul, after his 57-day absence, is in an assertive mode, both inside and outside Parliament.

Congress has 44 MPs in Lok Sabha and 68 in Rajya Sabha. The Congress President, who is also the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, usually hosts a dinner for MPs twice in a year during Budget and Winter sessions.