Sonia Gandhi retires as India Congress party president
Sonia Gandhi
The leader of India's main opposition Congress party   Sonia Gandhi   has retired from  her  post  the party confirmed on Thursday.
 Her  son   Rahul Gandhi   has been elected unopposed as the new president and will officially take charge on Saturday.
 Mrs Gandhi   71  has been the party president since 1998.  She  was elected to parliament in 1999.
 She  is  however  not retiring from politics and will continue as a member of parliament  the party said.
 Mrs Gandhi  entered politics in 1994   three years after after  her  husband  former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi  was assassinated.
 Her  power derived from being the head of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty  which has led the Congress party and has ruled India for most of the years since it became an independent nation in 1947.
After distancing  herself  from politics following  her  husband's death   Mrs Gandhi  was initially seen as a reluctant and almost reclusive politician.
Under  her  leadership  the party turned in its second-worst performance since independence in the 1999 elections  but won the general elections in 2004 and 2009.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption  Rahul Gandhi  has been named the new Congress party president
Mrs Gandhi  an Italian-born Catholic  would have been the first foreigner to become Indian prime minister had  she  not surprised everyone by turning down the post after  her  general election success in 2004. Yet  many considered  her  the de facto head of the Congress government.
In recent years  Mrs Gandhi  has faced health issues. In 2011   she  had surgery in the US for an undisclosed medical condition and in 2013  she  was taken to hospital from parliament after falling ill.
The leader of  [TGT] has retired from   [TGT]   post  the party confirmed on Thursday.
 Her  son   Rahul Gandhi   has been elected unopposed as the new president and will officially take charge on Saturday.
 Mrs Gandhi   71  has been the party president since 1998.  She  was elected to parliament in 1999.
 She  is  however  not retiring from politics and will continue as a member of parliament   [TGT]  said.
 Mrs Gandhi  entered politics in 1994   three years after after  her  husband  former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi  was assassinated.
 Her  power derived from being the head of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty  which has led  [TGT]  and has ruled India for most of the years since it became an independent nation in 1947.
After distancing  herself  from politics following  her  husband's death   Mrs Gandhi  was initially seen as a reluctant and almost reclusive politician.
Under  her  leadership   [TGT]  turned in  [TGT]  second-worst performance since independence in the 1999 elections  but won the general elections in 2004 and 2009.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption  Rahul Gandhi  has been named the new Congress party president
Mrs Gandhi  an Italian-born Catholic  would have been the first foreigner to become Indian prime minister had  she  not surprised everyone by turning down the post after  her  general election success in 2004. Yet  many considered  her  the de facto head of the Congress government.
In recent years  Mrs Gandhi  has faced health issues. In 2011   she  had surgery in the US for an undisclosed medical condition and in 2013  she  was taken to hospital from parliament after falling ill.