Sushil Kumar Shinde May Replace Rahul Gandhi As Next Congress President: Reports

New Delhi, June 30: Sushil Kumar Shinde may replace Rahul Gandhi as next Congress President, according to media reports. Sushil Kumar Shinde, who served as Union Home Minister from 2012 to 2014, is the probable front runner in the race to the post of Congress President as Rahul Gandhi is firm on quitting. The Gandhi family has reportedly given a green signal to Shinde's appointment as the next Congress chief.

Senior leaders such as Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, AK Antony, Mukul Wasnik and Mallikarjun Kharge were considered for Congress's top post. However, Shinde has emerged as the first choice of the Gandhi family, reports said. Born on September 4, 1941, Shinde has a long political career spanning over four decades. An affable and soft-spoken politician, Shinde has very few foes. He is known as a loyalist of the Gandhi family. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Appointed As Congress Lok Sabha Leader As Rahul Gandhi Remains Reluctant.

Shinde's elevation to Congress President's post, if happens, will assume significance in view of upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra. Shinde hails from Maharashtra's Solapur. Notably, Shinde lost the Solapur Lok Sabha seat twice in 2014 and 2019. He has served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 18 January 2003 to October 2004. Rahul Gandhi Reveals Who Will Decide on Next Congress Chief.

Who is Sushil Kumar Shinde?

Sushil Kumar Shinde started his career as a bailiff in a Solapur court and later joined the Maharashtra Police and served as a sub-inspector for six years. He joined the Congress party in 1971 and won his first election from Karmala Assembly seat in 1974. His political career continued to touch new heights till 2014. It is said Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar suggested Shinde to join politics.

Shinde won four Assembly elections in 1978, 1980, 1985 and 1990 and presented nine budgets as Maharashtra's finance minister, under different chief ministers. In 1999, he acted as campaign manager of the Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. Sonia Gandhi won the election by a huge margin. This was the time when he came close to the Gandhi family.

Shinde made national headlines in 2002 when the Congress nominated him to compete against the ruling National Democratic Alliance's Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in the election for Vice President. Shinde was defeated. For many years, Shinde, a Dalit, was seen as the perpetual Chief Minister in waiting. But Maratha leaders maintained their dominance in the state leadership. In 2003, he became the state's first Dalit chief minister.

Shinde is seen as an obedient Congress worker who never crossed the party line. In 2004 when the Congress-NCP combine won Assembly elections, Shinde was sidelined and Vilasrao Deshmukh was chosen to head the state. He quietly accepted the decision. He was then sent to Andhra Pradesh as Governor. He was later brought into central ministries.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 30, 2019 03:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).