NPR

As A New Gandhi Takes Over, Can India's Opposition Find Its Footing Again?

Rahul Gandhi, the 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family, takes over the Congress party from his mother. Will the generational shift signal a change in fortune for the lackluster opposition?
Vice president of the Indian National Congress Party Rahul Gandhi (center) waves while being garlanded during a political rally at Chilloda village on Nov. 11. Gandhi takes over the party leadership this week from his mother, Sonia Gandhi, who is stepping down because of health concerns.

Rahul Gandhi, the 47-year-old scion of India's Nehru-Gandhi family, takes the helm of the National Congress Party this week, raising questions about the potency of the political opposition in the world's biggest democracy.

Rahul succeeds his mother, Sonia Gandhi, 71, who steps down amid concerns of ill health, and ends a record 19 years as party president.

The Indian National Congress party once controlled almost the entire country. As the beleaguered opposition today, it's been losing state election after election since Prime Minister

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