Fireworks erupted over the party headquarters in New Delhi drowning out the voice of his mother Sonia Gandhi as she handed over the reins of power to her 47-year-old son. Slogans of “long live Rahul” were shouted as hundreds of supporters danced to drum beats and burst firecrackers. She helped the Congress win the general elections in 2004 and 2009. Rahul has been party vice-president since 2013 and led its campaign for the 2014 election. Since then, the party has lost polls in many states to the BJP, exposing Rahul to further criticism.

Source: The Express Tribune December 16, 2017 05:58 UTC