A day before her son Rahul Gandhi will replace her as Congress president, Sonia Gandhi on Friday said she is ready to hang the boots. “My role is to retire,” Sonia said outside Parliament when asked what role she will assume after Rahul takes over as chief of the grand old party.
However, soon after the party rushed to clarify saying she meant to retire as party president but not from politics.
Sonia, who has not been keeping in good health for quite some time now, did not respond to questions on just-concluded Gujarat polls. Sonia added that her son Rahul has been playing an active role in the last three years. Sonia, who became Congress president in 1998, steered the 132-year-old party for 19 years.
Rahul is set to receive a formal certificate on being elected the Congress president from the party’s central election authority at a function at the AICC headquarters on Saturday.
Sonia’s ‘retire’ statement also raised questions whether she will contest the 2019 lok Sabha elections. She represents the Nehru-Gandhi bastion of Raebareli in the lok Sabha, a seat earlier held by her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi.
The twin seats of Amethi and Raebareli have been held by the Nehru-Gandhi family for most parts of the last five decades. Sonia’s plan to call quits could also pave way for the formal entry of Priyanka Vadra into electoral politics.
Sonia is also the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), which includes members of both Houses of Parliament. Sonia’s statement led to speculation that she might also hand over the leadership of the CPP to Rahul.
The post was created by amending the Congress Constitution when Sonia took charge as party president. The two leaders of the party in the lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha report to the CPP chairperson.
In pre-Sonia setup, the CPP leader was the leader of the party in the lok Sabha. He would be Prime Minister if the Congress was in power or leader of Opposition otherwise.
During the UPA, Pranab Mukherjee as Cabinet Minister remained leader of the lok Sabha for most part of the regime, and Manmohan Singh as PM was the leader of the Rajya Sabha.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, however, dismissed the speculation that Sonia has retired from public life. “Would sincerely request friends in the media to not rely upon innuendos. Sonia Gandhi has retired as president of Indian National Congress and not from politics. Her blessings, wisdom and innate commitment to Congress ideology shall always be our guiding light,” Surjewala said.
Former Union Minister Renuka Chowdhury said it was not easy for party members to accept that Sonia was going to quit politics. Responding to Sonia’s comment, Chowdhury said she would like to believe that their party leader would always be there to steer the grand old party in the right direction.
“(She) may say. It is part of her nature, her personality where she has never aspired for a post or clung to power...She talks what she believes is right and stands by her conviction. There is no doubt about her commitment,” Chowdhury said outside Parliament.
DMK leader TKS Elangovan said that it was “her personal decision” to quit political life. “We cannot influence. Because if she is retiring on health grounds, what can we doIJ” he asked.
On the elevation of Rahul, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the entire country has lots of expectations from Rahul. “Much before he was elected, he has shown his mettle. He knows his responsibility,” Azad said.