There are said to be back-channels talks going on again after the initial negotiations failed, but the Congress denied it. However, the party has taken on board a close aide of Kishor, to work for the party without any condition.

Sanyam Lodha is one of the advisors to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. He represents the Sirohi seat in the Legislative Assembly.

Leaving the grand old party, Vikramaditya Singh said that his position on Jammu and Kashmir does not align with that of the Congress.

Petrol and diesel prices were on Tuesday hiked by 80 paise a litre each while domestic cooking gas LPG rates were increased by Rs 50 per cylinder as state oil firms ended an over four-and-half month election-related hiatus in rate revision

Earlier this week, Congress leader had slammed Central govt over high inflation and reduced rates of fixed deposits and provident fund, and said the common people are facing the consequences of its "wrong policies."

Kapil Sibal said the Gandhis -- Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra - should step aside and give some other leader a chance to lead the party.

Sources said Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also be present at meeting. Azad's meeting with the Gandhis carries much significance amid dissatisfaction of G-23 leaders over the working style of the Congress leadership.

Rahul Gandhi referred to a foreign media report to attack the government. The report had claimed that Facebook offered BJP cheaper deals for election advertisements as compared to other political parties.  

Gehlot remarks came after Sibal triggered a row with his comments that the Gandhis should step aside and give other leaders a chance to lead the Congress.

Congress failed to put up a strong fight in the Assembly elections in five states. It lost power to AAP in Punjab.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's warning came as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned that she was responding to the point raised by a Congress member who was not present in the House.

The CWC held their meeting on Sunday to discuss the drubbing the party faced in assembly elections in 5 states concluded recently.

The Congress will hold a Chintan Shivir immediately after the Budget Session of Parliament and the CWC will meet again before that, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said.

Srinivas, who is a special invitee to the Congress’ highest decision-making body CWC, took to Twitter to express his backing for the Gandhi family ahead of the high-level party meeting, where a post-mortem of the party's recent electoral debacle in five states -- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab -- is expected.

Sources said, "G23, which consists of Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, had suggested Mukul Wasnik's name for the post of president of the party. But it was not accepted."

The crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting after the poll debacle in 5 states is underway in Delhi. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ambika Soni, Salman Khurshid, Ajay Maken, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, P Chidambaram, Ashok Gehlot, other leaders present.

Congress failed to put up a strong fight in the five states that went to the polls recently. Congress lost power in Punjab to Aam Aadmi Party.

The UP debacle has proved that the brother-sister duo is no match to the election machinery of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said people of Punjab voted in favour of AAP as they were unhappy with Amarinder's regime.

Congress general secretary in-charge Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi addressed 209 rallies and roadshows, the maximum by any top leader during the UP election campaign, followed closely by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who spoke at 203 poll events.