Sonia Gandhi retires as Congress president

The Congress party on Friday announced the retirement of Sonia Gandhi as party president.

The announcement by party chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala came hours after 71-year-old Sonia told reporters in Parliament that she would retire.

"My role is now to retire," she said sparking off speculation of her retirement from politics.

"Sonia Gandhi has retired as President of Indian National Congress and not from politics," Surjewala said asking the media not to "rely on innuendos".

The announcement comes a day before her son, Rahul Gandhi, succeeds her  as party president.

"Her blessings, wisdom and innate commitment to Congress ideology shall always be our guiding light," Surjewala said.

The Congress had on Monday named 47-year-old Rahul as President-elect and the transition of power from the mother to the son is scheduled for Saturday. Rahul will the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to lead the Congress.

On Tuesday, Deccan Herald had reported that Sonia would continue to lead the Congress party in Parliament and as chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance.

Sonia has been the longest-serving president of the Congress, having been appointed to the post in 1998 when the country was ruled by political stalwarts such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani.

Congress had been reduced to having governments in three states, but Sonia's perseverance over the years brought the party to power at the Centre in 2004 and gradually strengthened its position across the country.

Sonia's retirement talk on Friday also raised questions on whether she would contest the next Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli, a seat held by her mother-in-law and late prime minister Indira Gandhi.

On Saturday, the Central Election Authority is scheduled to ceremonially handover the certificate of election to Rahul and  Sonia is expected to deliver a farewell speech on the occasion.