Blessings, Wishes and a Word of Caution: Decoding Sonia's Last Speech as Congress President

New Delhi: An emotional Sonia Gandhi in her valedictory speech on Saturday recalled how her hands were “shaking with fear” on the day she took over as the president of the Congress party 19 years ago. In a grand ceremony at Congress headquarters, where Rahul Gandhi was officially declared the new party president, Sonia recalled challenges faced by the party during her regime, “from the days when the party had government in just three states” to winning consecutive general elections in 2004 and 2009.

“When Indiraji died, I felt I had lost my mother. And initially I wanted to keep my husband and children away from politics,” Sonia reminisced in her address. “Indira Gandhi had accepted me as a daughter and we are not the ones who get afraid and bow down,” she added.

Recalling how she reluctantly allowed Rajiv Gandhi to join politics and later saw her world collapse when he too was assassinated, Sonia said she agreed to enter politics on the call of thousands of Congressmen after more than a decade of solitude, only to honour her family’s values and to serve the country.

Formally handing over the baton to Rahul, the outgoing Congress President in an indirect reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Rahul has faced a lot of personal attacks, which has made him “firm and resolute”.

Sonia Gandhi also highlighted the need for the party to introspect: “You will not be able to work for the welfare of the others unless you live up to the high values in public life”. Her remarks are being seen as a note of caution to the party which lost power and certain degree of credibility in 2014 after getting mired in multiple corruption scams.

Before her, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “Rahul Gandhi was taking over as a President of the party at a time when there are certain disturbing trends visible in our politics. Politics of hope is being replaced by politics of fear.”

“Rahul, we depend on you to bring back politics of hope that India needs. You have travelled all over India, and know problems of poor people like no one else does. I wish you, along with millions of countrymen, may your path be blessed,” said the former Prime Minister.