Sonia Gandhi reviews outcome of assembly elections

February 28, 2005

Congress President Sonia Gandhi is meeting senior party leaders here this evening to review the outcome of the assembly polls and to finalise the party`s strategy to be adopted in the formation of governments in Bihar and Jharkhand where the verdict has been fractured.

Ahmed Patel, Ambika Sonia, Arjun Singh, M L Fotedar, Janardan Dwivedi and Harikesh Bahadur are attending the meeting, party sources said.

While Arjun Singh and Fotedar were party`s strategists for Bihar and Jharkhand, Dwivedi and Bahadur were incharge of Haryana, Bihar and Jharkhand affairs.

Gandhi is also expected to finalise the names of observers to be sent to these states for government formation.

Senior leaders including Bhajan Lal, Selja and Surjewala from Haryana, where the congress swept back to power, have been called by Gandhi to ascertain their views as to who should head the government.

Party leader Bhupendra Singh Hooda, who is an aspirant for chief ministership of Haryana, had a meeting with the General Secretary Ambika Soni and is expected to meet Gandhi later.