Party to decide Sonia role after internal election, says Kharge

Guwahati: Congress presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said the party will decide the future role of Sonia Gandhi after the internal election is over, but her sacrifice and adherence to cause of the poor and downtrodden will be remembered forever.
Kharge was addressing the media at the state Congress headquarters at the Rajiv Bhawan here after meeting the party delegates who will vote in the October 17 election for the post of Congress president.
“She (Sonia Gandhi) brought Food Security Act, was it wrong? Sonia ji brought Right to Education Act and schemes like MGNREGA. She will be remebered for such visionary thinking for the uplift of the poor. But this election is not for deciding her role,” said Kharge. He lauded Sonia for sacrificing even prime ministership when most of the party leaders wanted her as Prime Minister after Congress returned to power in 2004.
“Sonia ji is an example of sacrifice. She installed an economist in Prime Minister’s chair for 10 years. Modi can not set such an example,” he said, when asked whether Congress will remain “under the shadow of Gandhi family” even after the party gets a new president.
Kharge asked the BJP why they lack the guts to conduct election for party chief’s post, while they accuse the Congress of functuiong at the remote of Gandhi family. “What about BJP’s remote controls? Where is their election authority?” he asked. The Gandhi family loyalist was all praise for Rahul Gandhi who is spearheading the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” and is surrounded by the supporters of the Gandhi scion here in Guwahati, including deputy leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi. “Lakhs of people want to march ahead with Rahul Gandhi, who is voicing the concerns of the youth. Is it wrong to raise the issues of unemployment, inflation, declining GDP and rupee’s rapid depreciation?” he asked.