Congress President Sonia Gandhi — who has served the party in that pot for close to two decades now — will not be campaigning for it in the run-up to the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, according to sources. The news has already given rise to speculations as to whether her son and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi is being set up for a bigger role within the Congress.
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Sonia's continued sickness
It may be noted that the Congress top rung had suggested last November that Rahul Gandhi inherit the mantle of Congress president from his mother and lead the party. Speculation on this raised its head once again when Sonia was admitted to hospital later that month after falling ill while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh.
Even otherwise, Sonia is 70 years old and age is starting to catch up with her. She had earlier also been out of the political limelight due to ill-health, and on one occasion had to go the US for treatment, where she stayed for quite some time. Therefore, it is only logical that she pass on the mantle of party president to son Rahul Gandhi, given that there seems to be no other claimant to that title at the moment.
How prepared is Rahul Gandhi?
As of now, Rahul Gandhi has taken on somewhat of a leadership role within the Congress and in its alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh — a state that has sent the most number of prime ministers to office, including the current one. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected to the Lok Sabha from Varanasi.
If Rahul Gandhi manages to bring the Congress a win in the UP Assembly elections — an eventuality whose possibility has been boosted by the Congress joining hands with the SP — he can then flaunt his laurels at the head of the Congress, and look to forge similar alliances with local parties to put a halt to the BJP's dream of a Congress-mukt Bharat, or a Congress-free India.
