Widow of Slain Indian Premier Named Congress Party President

The Congress (I) Party on Saturday picked the Italian-born widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as its new president.

Though Sonia Gandhi has hardly any political experience and has not outlined any particular vision for India, she is a member of the family that ruled the nation for most of its 50 years of independence and is thus immensely popular.

Party insiders have been pushing for her appointment as Congress president since her husband’s 1991 assassination. Only recently has she ended her reclusiveness and agreed to enter politics.

Although her appointment comes in the aftermath of elections that have left the major parties scrambling for a parliamentary majority, it is not expected to change the Congress Party’s current standing. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party won the most seats in the elections and is likely to get the first opportunity to form a government.

On Saturday, the BJP gained support from a recalcitrant ally, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam, to bolster its chances of being asked to govern.

Sitaram Kesri, whom Gandhi will replace, said her appointment was illegal because the vote was conducted in his absence. He refused to step down but appears powerless to block the shuffle.

Gandhi was elected by the Congress Working Committee, the core group of party leaders.

“The decision of the Congress Working Committee to appoint me as president of the Indian National Congress enjoins upon me a duty and a task which has to be carried out with faith and humility,” Gandhi said.