With Rahul at helm, what role does Sonia Gandhi play in the Congress

Rahul Gandhi was elected unopposed as the president of the Congress on Monday. He will formally take over as the party chief on December 16 at 11 am.

This development ends the 19-year reign of his mother, Sonia Gandhi as the president of the Congress. What does Sonia Gandhi do now after relinquishing charge?

Party insiders say that they are likely to create the post of party patron. She would be made the party patron and her role would be advisory in nature. There is, however, no clarity on whether she would relinquish charge as the head of the parliamentary party. She is also a de-facto member of the party's highest decision-making body, Congress Working Committee (CWC).

With Rahul Gandhi at the helm of affairs, there are bound to be some changes. For instance, he is unlikely to continue with the position of political adviser. This would mean that Ahmed Patel who is a CWC member would be given a new assignment.

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