Sonia Gandhi re-elected Congress President for record fourth time

File photo of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Ms Sonia Gandhi was today re-elected as president of the 125-year-old Congress, the main constituent of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, for a record fourth time.

Ms Gandhi, 63, the only candidate who had filed her nomination for the position, was formally declared elected at a ceremony at the party headquarters today at which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders were present.

In a brief speech, Ms Gandhi thanked the party for bestowing the honour again on her and reminded its leaders and workers that the Congress always stood for all sections of society.

"Since the beginning, the Congress has been working for every section of the society. Whether we are in government or not, we should not forget this big responsibility," she said.

"It's a great responsibility and I thank all Congress workers. Whether we are in power or not we should always work for the oppressed."

Dr Singh, party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, and several Union Ministers and Chief Ministers were among those who proposed Ms Gandhi's name for the top post during filing of nominations yesterday.

Ms Gandhi had joined the Congress in 1997 and took over as party chief in April the following year, replacing Mr Sitaram Kesri. She has steered the party since then, earning the distinction of having the longest tenure at the top, more than Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Ms Indira Gandhi.

The Italian-born widow of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is also the chairperson of the UPA and the National Advisory Council, and has been often listed among the most powerful women in the world.

Ms Gandhi joined the party at a time when its fortunes were on the downswing. Earlier, she had declined to take up the party chief's job after the May 21, 1991 assassination of her husband. In 2004, she declined the Prime Minister's job.

NNN