At Kapil Sibal's Dinner, Talk Of Change In Congress Leadership

Kapil Sibal was among the dissenters who wrote an explosive letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi last year, expressing concern over the party's downslide since it lost power in 2014.

Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal hosted a dinner at his home today for a galaxy of opposition leaders. While the immediate occasion was his birthday celebration, the meeting became a rallying point for the opposition against the Narendra Modi government. Questions were also asked about the rejuvenation of the Congress, which some leaders present suggested can only be done if the Gandhis relinquish the leadership, sources said. Mr Sibal was among the dissenters who wrote an explosive letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi last year, expressing concern over the party's downslide since it lost power in 2014. In what was seen as a stunning act of defiance, they also demanded sweeping organisational changes - including "active, visible leadership" and internal elections. The invitees included other leaders pushing for change -- P Chidambaram, Shashi Tharoor and Anand Sharma. All three are among the leaders who have been raising questions within the party about its future. The opposition leaders present included Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut, NCP's Sharad Pawar, Trinamool's Derek O'Brien and Omar Abdullah of National Conference.