Can India’s main opposition party survive?
Rahul Gandhi quit as leader of India’s National Congress Party after a heavy election defeat to PM Narendra Modi.
Mention politics in India and the name “Gandhi” would almost certainly come up.
The family has been at the centre of public life for decades.
But the latest member of the Gandhi dynasty is looking to step away from the spotlight.
Rahul took over leadership of the Indian National Congress from his mother Sonia in 2017, and has long sought to become prime minister, following in the footsteps of his father, grandmother and great grandfather.
But the party suffered big losses in this year’s elections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
And 49-year-old Gandhi accepted responsibility for the defeat.
So what effect will his resignation have on Indian politics?
Presenter: Dareen Abughaida
Guests:
Sreeram Chaulia – Professor and dean of the Jindal School of International Affairs
Vidya Subrahmaniam – Senior fellow at the Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy
Manindra Nath Thakur – Associate professor at the Centre For Political Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University