Sonia Gandhi is back as Congress chief

Playing safe, Congress once again showed its fixation with Nehru-Gandhi family leadership, choosing Sonia Gandhi as interim Party President nearly 20 months after she had handed over the baton to her son Rahul Gandhi in December 2017.

After Rahul Gandhi resigned from the post of Party President on July 13 this year, announcing that the party should elect a new President outside Nehru-Gandhi family, the Congress struggled to zero on an all acceptable name.

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In the reckoning were--- former Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde (78), Former Leader of Congress in Loksabha Mallikarjun Kharge (77), former Speaker Meira Kumar (74), to the younger ones Jyotiradity Scindia (48) and Sachin Pilot (41) but off late Mukul Wasnik (59) emerged as front runner.

The party falling back on Sonia’s name despite deliberations on these names is a clear indication that there was no consensus on any of them amid a fierce generational debate going on within the party on the leadership issue with a number of leaders seeking some young leader to be appointed as the party chief, while the seniors not very keen to work under anybody very young.

“After thorough deliberations, CWC passed a resolution requesting Rahul Gandhi to take back his resignation but he declined it politely saying accountability should begin from him first. Then CWC decided unanimously that Sonia Gandhi should accept the responsibility of interim President till a regular Congress President is not elected at the session of AICC. Sonia Gandhi accepted this request of CWC,” said party’s communication department chief Randeep Surjewala.

After a three-hour marathon meeting of party’s apex decision making body Congress Working Committee, which saw a frank discussion and a clear divide on who should succeed Rahul Gandhi and took over the party as interim chief, it was decided to entrust the responsibility to Sonia Gandhi once again till the party elects a new chief through election.

Sonia Gandhi, who become Congress President on March 14, 1998 had the longest sting as party chief till Rahul took over it from her on December 16 2017. He, however, quit on July 13 2019, taking responsibility for the Congress debacle in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.