Rahul Gandhi takes charge as Congress President

KalingaTV News Network

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took over as the Congress President from his mother Sonia Gandhi, who led India’s Grand Old Party for almost 19 years.

47-year-old Gandhi scion received a formal certificate from the party’s central election authority in a ceremony on the lawns of the AICC’s headquarters here this morning.

Addressing the occasion, Rahul said, “Politics belongs to the people, but today politics is not being used for people. It is not being used to uplift people, but to crush them. Many of us are disillusioned by politics of our time. Today, politics is devoid of kindness and truth. Congress took India to 21st century, but the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) today is taking us back to medieval times.”

Rahul was elected unopposed to the post of Congress President on December 11. He has now become the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to take charge of the Grand Old Party of India.

Born in 1970, Rahul is the first child of Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi , and the grandson of Indira Gandhi. His first foray into active politics was in 2004, when he won the Lok Sabha elections from his father’s former constituency Amethi.

In 2007, Rahul was appointed the Congress general secretary. He also took charge of Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India. He was appointed as the Congress vice-president at a party conclave in Jaipur in 2013.

Veteran Congress leader and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, party’s outgoing  President Sonia Gandhi and several leaders were present on the occasion.