Newly-elected president of the main opposition Congress party Rahul Gandhi kisses his mother and former party president Sonia Gandhi as former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, right, watches during a function at the party headquarters in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017. Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India’s most famous political dynasty, has taken over as president of the main opposition Congress party while facing a stiff challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Hindu nationalists. (Oinam Anand/Associated Press)NEW DELHI — Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India’s most famous political dynasty, took over as president of the main opposition Congress party on Saturday while facing a stiff challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalists. Gandhi, who took the mantle from his mother, Sonia Gandhi, at a party function, takes over the leadership of a party that has been losing power to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014. “Today, the Congress faces a possibly existential crisis even as Sonia Gandhi makes way for Rahul Gandhi to head the party,” said Neerja Chowdhury, a political commentator.

Source: Washington Post December 16, 2017 06:16 UTC