Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has strongly criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) over its notice to Rahul Gandhi, stating that the poll body is “not a court” and should not act like one when handling petitions or complaints. Chidambaram said the ECI is an administrative body tasked with ensuring free and fair elections and has a duty not only towards political parties but also to the country’s voters.

Veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma has stepped down as the chairman of the party’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), a position he held for nearly a decade. In his resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharma said the department needs reconstitution to bring in younger leaders with potential and promise, ensuring continuity and fresh perspectives in its functioning.