- LATEST
- WEBSTORY
- TRENDING
INDIA
Rahul has to prove himself: Sonia
Rahul was made one of Congress' general-secretaries, in a move which analysts said was partly aimed at grooming him for a shot at the prime ministership.
Updated : Nov 19, 2013, 11:17 PM IST
TRENDING NOW
)
'Until Nitish took charge in Bihar, there was no serious concern for...': PM Modi attacks previous RJD-led govt in state
)
7 times XXX, Gandii Baat star Aabha Paul was 'too hot to handle' in her bikini photos
)
Internet fuming over BIZZARE fan reaction in Diljit Dosanjh concert, netizens say, 'better if asteroid hit earth'
)
Meet star with no hit films, still earns Rs 5 lakh a month, is more famous than Aishwarya, Amitabh, Kareena, Ram Charan
)
Meet Janhvi Kapoor's 'sister' who left Bollywood after no hits in 7 years, still called star; she's worth Rs...
)
Meet two brothers, one is star with Rs 70 crore net worth, other is 506% richer with over 10 flop films, net worth is..
)
India's highest paid actor charges Rs 300 crore for a film; more than Vijay, Shah Rukh, Prabhas, Rajini, Ranbir, Salman
)
Meet one of Kolkata's richest persons, founded Rs 19690 crore company that is Tata, Mahindra rival, net worth is Rs...
)
'All I do is...': After Arjun Kapoor confirms breakup with Malaika Arora, her cryptic video goes viral
)
Meet actress who never became lead heroine, married superstar's brother, fell in love with 12 years younger man; now...
)
Avinash Mishra to be evicted from Bigg Boss 18? Actor gets into a physical fight with Digvijay Rathee leading him to...
)
Shilpa Shetty breaks down, Salman Khan cancels shoot; celebs rush to Lilavati hospital after Baba Siddique shot dead
)
Meet woman, who rejected Rs 3.6 lakh offer from Mukesh Ambani, didn't attend Anant Ambani, Radhika wedding due to...
)
Radhika Merchant changes name, shares thoughts on work and marriage
)
Shillong Teer Result November 14, 2024: Know updates on lucky winning numbers
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi, heir of Nehru-Gandhi family, still needs to prove himself, and his promotion in the Congress party should not be seen as a first step in an inevitable rise to the top, his mother and party chief Sonia Gandhi said on Friday.
Thirty-seven-year-old Rahul was made one of Congress' general-secretaries last month, in a move which analysts said was partly aimed at grooming him for a shot at the prime ministership in the future.
But his Italian-born mother Sonia, who heads the governing coalition and is seen as India's most powerful politician, said that was 'not accurate at all'.
"Yes of course in our family, many families whose earlier generations have been in politics, the name or the family or the experience of the family gives you a headstart, it helps in the beginning," she said.
"But in our system, which is a democratic system, you have to prove yourself and unless you prove yourself you cannot go ahead," she said.
The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has ruled India for much of its post-independence life. Rahul's great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru was the country's first prime minister in 1947.
His grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv both also ran the country, and were both assassinated.
Rahul's promotion was also seen as a move to invigorate the party leadership ahead of elections in 2008 or 2009.
Sonia said her son, had a lot of hard work ahead, and played down talk that his promotion was overdue.
"From the beginning he felt that he ought to gain some experience and only then, when he felt that he had began to understand and to learn, only then he would take on a new assignment and a responsibility, and that's what he has done."
The shy, bespectacled Rahul, a Cambridge-educated business consultant, surprised the country by entering politics and contesting polls in 2004, ahead of his more charismatic sister Priyanka.
He entered parliament after winning in the family borough of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, but has kept a low profile ever since.
