Rahul Gandhi was elevated as the party's vice president in January 2013 and has since then, operated as the party's number 2. Mrs Gandhi, 70, the party's longest-serving chief, has been keeping unwell in recent years and had scaled back her public engagements, pushing to the fore Rahul Gandhi. Yesterday, Sonia Gandhi abdicated the post of Congress president giving way for Rahul Gandhi to take over. She then announced that "My role now is to retire." Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala later clarified that Mrs Gandhi has retired as Congress president and not from politics. He said Sonia Gandhi will hand over the baton to Rahul Gandhi but her wisdom will continue to be the guiding light for the Congress party.


(File Photo: Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at the Congress party headquarters in Delhi. Rahul Gandhi takes charge as Congress president today after Sonia Gandhi retired from the post yesterday)