Can Sonia Gandhi Salvage the Congress Party During its Worst Crisis?

New Delhi, August 11, 2019:

Congress' former President Sonia Gandhi, the mother of the recently resigned President Rahul Gandhi, has been appointed as the interim President of the party by the Working Committee.

Sonia's appointment as the interim President comes during its worst crisis ever, as the party suffered a humiliating defeat in the 2019 General Elections and has since seen many of its old-timers defect to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in recent times.

The erosion has been most visible in the Northeast, and especially Assam, as senior leaders like Bhubaneswar Kalita, Gautam Roy, and Santiuse Kujur have already adorned the saffron robes of the BJP. Moreover, rumors are rife that heavyweights like five-time MP Paban Singh Ghatowar, and former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma could also be joining the saffron unit in the coming days.

So how does Sonia stall the ever-increasing momentum of the BJP? Well, for one, she has to find a way to counter the BJP's nationalism with an alternative that feels both fresh and current. Moreover, India's oldest party will be expected to send out bolder messages that deal with important issues such as development, unemployment, water scarcity, etc.

It has been suggested that Sonia was chosen after non-Gandhi names failed to get votes. Party sources said Sonia was initially unwilling to accept the role of interim President, but she accepted after party leaders convinced her to take the post to keep the flock together. Sonia's role has to be of a unifier and she has to find a way to keep the party together in these trying times where more and more members are deserting the apparently sinking Congress ship in an apparent attempt to salvage their political careers.

Join us as we continue the awareness campaign to preserve the only Ramsar site in Assam which is facing immense threats (A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention). We need your help to preserve this site of great ecological importance. Join the #LetsSaveDeeporBeel campaign and tweet about it, and do tag us on Twitter. It is time to create awareness.