New Delhi: “I am hurt but they (the senior leaders who signed the controversial letter) are my colleagues. Bygones are bygones, let us work together,” Sonia Gandhi said. Interim Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi offered dissenting voices in her party an olive branch on Monday evening, after an explosive seven-hour virtual meeting of the CWC – called over a letter challenging the Gandhi family’s control of the party – finished with her agreeing to remain in temporary charge.

Speaking at the conclusion of today’s meeting Sonia Gandhi, 73, who was roped into returning as a stand-in President last year following Rahul Gandhi’s resignation, said she was “hurt” but held “no ill-will”.

Hours earlier she opened the online meeting of the Congress Working Committee – the party’s highest decision-making body – by announcing she wanted to be relieved of the top job. By the end of the day Sonia Gandhi was persuaded to remain in charge, but a six-month time-frame was set for the AICC to launch the search for a new chief.

According to the sources, at no point during the meeting did any Congress leader express criticism of the Gandhi leadership. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh moved a resolution asking Sonia Gandhi to continue or, if that was not possible, other leaders asked that Rahul Gandhi return as President.

Today’s meeting was called to discuss the letter written by over 20 senior Congress leaders, including high-profile names like Azad, Shashi Tharoor, Anand Sharma and Kapil Sibal. The letter sought sweeping changes in the organisation, including elections at every level, decentralization of power (and empowerment of state units) and the formation of a “collective leadership”.

The document sparked a furious response from Gandhi loyalists, with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh leading the charge; Singh insisted the Gandhis were still the “right fit for the leadership role”. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah also defended the Gandhis.