Congress formally announced Rahul Gandhi’s elevation to the post of the party’s president on 11 December. He filed his nomination papers for the election to the post of Congress President on 4 December.
Gandhi had emerged the lone candidate in the fray, and decks have been cleared for him to succeed his mother, who has headed the Congress party for 19 consecutive years.
Eighty-nine nominations received in his favour were found to be valid under scrutiny. Rahul Gandhi’s takeover will end his mother Sonia Gandhi’s 19 years at the helm.
Sonia Gandhi will assume the role of the ‘Chief Patron’ in the Congress, reported The Hindu, quoting sources.
Formally announcing Rahul Gandhi’s Presidentship, party leader Mullappally Ramachandran said that he been elected to the post ‘unopposed’.
89 nomination proposals were received, and all were valid. Since there was only one candidate, I hereby declare Rahul Gandhi elected as the president of Indian National Congress.M Ramachandran, Chairman, INC Central Election Authority
Congress workers across the nation celebrated Rahul Gandhi’s election as the President. They took to the street to celebrate Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as Congress President, shortly after the formal announcement.
Speaking on Rahul Gandhi’s elevation, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the country has a lot of expectations from the new party president.
The entire country has lots of expectations from Rahul Gandhi. Much before he was elected, he has shown his mettle. He knows his responsibility.Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress Leader
Dissenting Congress leader termed Rahul’s elevation announcement a ‘black day for Congress’.
Poonawalla also later changed his twitter profile picture to a black screen, to reflect his displeasure with the announcement.
It is not a matter of celebration but shame for Congress workers, ideologues and supporters, and therefore they are celebrating it as a black day because the party of Mahatma Gandhi and Lokmanya Tilak today has a Mughal dynasty style of coronation.Shehzad Poonawalla, Rebel Congress Leader
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