Sonia Gandhi tells party MPs to take on treasury benches

New Delhi: Though her party’s tally is reduced to just 52 Members of Parliaments (MPs), Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi wants her Lok Sabha Army not to be dissapointed and be present and prepared to take on the treasury benches at all times.

Mrs Gandhi has directed that the MPs be divided into two groups and each group would have to be present in the house on alternate days specially in the afternoon sessions.

The direction was apparently given after low attendance of MPs in this current session. At a meeting of Congress Lok Sabha MPs on Wednesday which was overshadowed by all the MPs asking Rahul Gandhi to stay on as the Congress President, Mrs Gandhi asked the party chief whip K. Suresh to prepare a roster for the MPs.

The CPP President is learnt to have asked the Lok Sabha MPs not to go and sit in the Central Hall at all times and focus on studying Bills. She also asked them to participate more in debates.

Incidentally, Mrs Gandhi herself is one of the most regular Congress MPs who is present almost everyday during the morning session.

The Congress high command's decision of chosing five-time Bengal MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha is said to have given heartburn to some senior leaders, but, has also sent a strong message that a grassroot leader can boost the party’s performance in the House.