Old guards breathing easy as Sonia Gandhi returns to helm

New Delhi: With Sonia Gandhi returning to the helm of the Congress, it appears that old guards are now breathing easy. The appointment of Sonia Gandhi as the party's interim president has helped old guards from facing any conflict of interest with the worriers of Rahul Gandhi.

As per political experts, the position of senior leaders like Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Ashok Gehlot, Harish Rawat, Gulam Nabi Azad, etc would become stronger in the party in comparison to their role in the party under Rahul's tenure.

When Rahul Gandhi had become party president, the Congress' younger members had gained prominence instead of the trusted old lieutenants of the Gandhi family.

"There were reports that Rahul had once proposed respectful 'retirement' of most of the party veterans when Gandhi scion was appealed to lead the party following his decision to quit the coveted post after facing unprecedented defeat in Lok Sabha polls. Since Sonia Gandhi has accepted the Congress Working Committee's (CWCs) decision to be the interim chief of the party, it appears that she may not make any major changes in the grand party, which needs an overall revival," the experts said.

Though Sonia Gandhi's selection as interim chief is a stopgap arrangement but challenges galore for her to make a balance between old guards and young leaders, who are the future of the party.

"There was a buzz that Congress would get a non-Gandhi chief for the revival of the party. As Rahul Gandhi himself had made it very clear on several occasions that none of Gandhis would be the party head, so the selection of a family member shows that acceptability of non-Gandhi leaders in the party is beyond the imagination," the experts said. As of now, there would be no change of guard in Madhya Pradesh or in any state, which is under the Congress rule. Notably, during the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections in 2018, the former party chief had zeroed in on Jyotiraditya Scindia for the post of the chief minister.

However, Nath with the help from his 'old friend' Digvijaya Singh and support from Sonia Gandhi, set aside Scindia scion and took the charge.