Sonia Gandhi gets certificate of Congress confidence

“The post of a Congress president is a great responsibility,” Sonia Gandhi said after she was formally declared elected party chief unopposed for a record fourth term.

She said whether the party was in power or out of it, it had the responsibility of taking care of the emotions, aspirations and expectations of the people. “If I have been able to make any contribution, it is because I always kept this [responsibility] in mind,” Sonia said.

The lawns at 24 Akbar Road, the Congress headquarters, had become slippery after intermittent rains through the afternoon. But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of party workers who celebrated Sonia’s re-election. Prime minister Manmohan Singh applauded as Congress election authority in-charge Oscar Fernandes presented the certificate to Sonia.