Since 2007, when Rahul Gandhi became the General Secretary of the Congress Party, the party has won 25 state elections and 1 general election. Since 2007, when Rahul Gandhi became the General Secretary of the Congress Party, the party has won 25 state elections and 1 general election.

After 19 years of irreplaceable service to the Congress party, leading it gracefully and with the utmost dignity through its highs and lows, party president Smt Sonia Gandhi will make way for the new President. As the largest democratic party in the world, the Indian National Congress, through an internal election process — in which an electoral college comprising of 9,000 PCC delegates representing blocks across the country — has endorsed Shri Rahul Gandhi as the party president.

For those not aware or choosing to be ignorant — the election in the party is taking place under the watch of the Election Commission and anyone who is a delegate can contest, provided he /she has the support of at least 10 fellow delegates (proposers). In the past, the election for the top post has taken palce between Smt Sonia Gandhi and the late Shri Jitendra Prasad as well as between the late Shri Sitaram Kesri and Late Shri Rajesh Pilot. Considering all 9000 delegates have endorsed the nomination of Shri Rahul Gandhi to the post is a testimony in itself of the party workers’ unwavering faith in his leadership .

So it is amusing when Prime Minister Narendra Modi lectures others on internal party democracy, forgetting his own party ‘s nomination and selection process. The fact that PM Modi himself chose Shri Amit Shah as BJP President is well known. Who handles the remote control of the BJP from Nagpur is also equally well-established. In the same spirit that the Prime Minister is asking questions of the Congress, I would request him to answer questions raised by senior BJP leaders, such as Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha.

Read | Indian National Congress: From 1885 till 2017, a brief history of past presidents

India remembers the moment when Modi was being declared the PM candidate in 2014 at his party’s national executive meeting in Goa — and LK Advani, the tallest leader of the BJP, was kept away after which he publicly expressed his deep unhappiness.

When BJP leaders question the Congress leadership, they forget that the Congress party, led by these very leaders, brought the party to victory in 11 out of the 15 Lok Sabha elections held so far. By questioning the people of India for choosing the leaders of the Congress party, the Prime Minister is insulting the will and mandate of the country.

Also since 2007, when Rahul Gandhi became the general secretary of the Congress Party, the party has won 25 state elections and 1 general election. I wish the BJP could have a similar record to share of their past presidents. The party has lost state elections and several general elections under the leadership of L.K.Advani, Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari etc. If they point a finger at their principal opposition party I wonder which ‘democratic’ process the BJP invoked to chose the leaders of their party ?

Rahul Gandhi, after formally entering the party, had taken on the responsibility of reshaping all the frontal organisations of the Congress, namely the NSUI, IYC and Mahila Congress. The idea of opening the doors of politics for people like me, from totally non-political backgrounds, comes only from someone who is secure in his place and wishes to have a more participative democracy.

In all my interactions with Shri Rahul Gandhi I have seen all the signs of a leader who listens and respects another perspective, is decisive and at the same time open to suggestions and ideas. With a strong will to have more women and youth in the political system, I see an era in which the party will take tremendous strides under his unifying & progressive leadership.

As a proud Congresswoman, I am certain the countdown for the BJP government has well and truly begun, hence we hear of all kinds of language and words being used for the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. When they go low, we go high. Together we can win and together we will.

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