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Sonia Gandhi set to overtake cumulative years her family members led Congress
Sonia Gandhi has served roughly 21 years as the Congress chief—almost the same years her family members have led the party
In 2010, when Congress leaders wanted to celebrate Sonia Gandhi’s record as the longest-serving party president, she asked them to cross-check with then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was known for his memory. Eleven years later, as she continues to lead the party, she is set to overtake the cumulative years her family members Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi led the party. This includes her leadership as the interim or provisional president from August 2019 after Rahul Gandhi quit the post following the Congress’s debacle in the national elections.
Sonia Gandhi has served roughly 21 years as the Congress chief—almost the same years her family members have led the party. Her stint is set to continue for another 12 months. The Congress Working Committee, the highest executive body of the party which met on October 16, announced she will continue to be the interim president till her successor is elected between August 21 and September 30 next year. At the meeting, Sonia Gandhi hit back at dissenters for “talking to her through media” and reminded them that she has been “a full-time and hands-on Congress President.”
India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a key figure in both pre-Independence and post-Independence Congress, presided over the All-India Congress Committee session first in 1929. He was also the Congress president in 1930, 1936-37, 1951-54. Nehru led the party for eight years.
Indira Gandhi, who led the party for seven years, first got its leadership in 1959. She led the party again from 1978 to 1984. Her son, Rajiv Gandhi succeeded her as the party president and Prime Minister in 1985 before he was also assassinated six years later in 1991.
Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesari led the party until Sonia Gandhi shed her initial reluctance and became the Congress president in March 1998. She became the longest-serving chief of the party before Rahul Gandhi took over from her in 2017. Sonia Gandhi again took the top post in 2019 after Rahul Gandhi resigned citing the poor performance of the party in the general elections. The Congress bagged just 52 out of the 543 seats in Lok Sabha.
