Rahul Gandhi Takes Leadership of Indian Opposition Party
Mr. Gandhi, who took the mantle from his mother, Sonia, at a party function, assumes leadership of a party
that has been losing power to Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014.
16, 2017
NEW DELHI — Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India’s famous political dynasty, on Saturday took over as president of the main
opposition Congress party, which faces a stiff challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalists.
Asked what role she would play after her son’s elevation, Mrs. Gandhi told New Delhi Television on Friday, "My role is to retire." Randeep Surejewala, a party spokesman, said later
that Mrs. Gandhi had retired as party president but not from politics.
Mr. Gandhi was referring to killings and attacks on minority groups, especially
Muslims, since the Bharatiya Janata Party swept national elections in 2014.
In a speech, Sonia Gandhi described her son as the new hope for the Congress party, as workers danced, burst firecrackers
and distributed sweets to celebrate the generational shift in leadership.
Mr. Gandhi, 47, will be taking on Mr. Modi when the prime minister seeks a second, five-year term in 2019.
Mr. Gandhi is the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to lead the Congress party.
