GANDHI AS GRAVITY
Notwithstanding splits and exits, the Congress has always had the Family at its core 1975 Sanjay Gandhi emerges as the extra-constitutional authority and pushes Indira to impose Emergency.
The party stands by him.
Congress President
March 14, 1998-present
1998 The CWC ousts Sitaram Kesri as Congress president, requests Sonia to take over.
1999 Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar revolt against Sonia on the issue of her foreign origin and form NCP. The party later allies with Congress. 2011 Jagan Mohan Reddy quits the Congress and floats the YSR Congress after being denied the
Andhra Pradesh CM’s post.
Congress Vice-President January 19, 2013-present
2013 Rahul Gandhi is appointed Congress Vice-President. A year later, he is made the poll campaign
chief for the Lok Sabha polls.
Prime Minister January 24, 1966
March 24, 1977 January 14, 1980October 31, 1984
1969 Indira Gandhi
is expelled from Congress. She forms
Congress(R). She splits the party again in 1978 and renames it Congress(I). Hand becomes the new
party symbol.
Prime Minister October 31, 1984December 2, 1989
1984 Despite little experience, Rajiv Gandhi is propped up as prime minister after Indira’s assassination. Her favourite minister Pranab Mukherjee quits Congress, only to return to the fold
a few years later. 1987 Defence Minister V.P. Singh turns rebel, walks out of the party and forms the next government in 1989. 1991 Rajiv is assassinated. Sonia Gandhi stays away from politics for six years while P.V. Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesri
call the shots.