RAIPUR: Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s speech on Saturday that she ‘was happy that her innings could conclude with the Bharat Jodo Yatra’, fuelled talks about her retirement plans, though some Congress leaders refuted such rumours.
While addressing 15,000 delegates on the second day of the Congress Plenary session, Mrs Gandhi said, “What gratifies me most, is that my innings could conclude with the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Yatra has come as a turning point. It has proved that the people of India overwhelmingly want harmony, tolerance, and equality.”
Referring to a short film, which was shown at the plenary session on her remarkable journey since assuming charge of the grand old party in 1998 and the ups and downs, Sonia said, “what has been said about me and for what we have done. What we did under my presidency and the UPA government. It also shows how old I have become and how now young people under the leadership of Kharge ji must move forward.” She also received a standing applause as she stood up to address the delegates.
Speaking to this newspaper, a senior Congress leader said that the speech does not hint at her retirement plans. He also added that Sonia would contest for parliament again from Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli though she will continue to be in the Congress Working Committee.
“The party cannot function without her and she will be around. The speech cannot be interpreted as she is hanging her boots. She is on the Congress Working Committee,” he said. AICC in-charge for Chhattisgarh Kumari Selja also said that Gandhi’s speech was about ending her tenure as the Congress president.