Amid the on-going drama of resignation in the Congress, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday told leaders from Maharashtra that the party would soon name his successor. If reports are to be believed, Sushil Kumar Shinde, the former Union Home Minister, is the front runner for the post of Congress President as Rahul Gandhi decides to quit.
As claimed by a few media reports, the Gandhi family has also given a green signal to Shinde’s appointment as the next Congress chief.
Other eminent politicians including Mallikarjun Kharge, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Janardhan Dwivedi and A.K. Antony, besides Mukul Wasnik, too, are under consideration too.
Who is Sushil Kumar Shinde?
Born on September 4, 1941, Shinde comes from Maharashtra’s Solapur. Shinde has a long political career spanning over four decades. He is known as a loyalist of the Gandhi family.
Shinde started his career as a bailiff in the session’s court of Solapur where he worked from 1957 – 1965. He later associated himself with the Maharashtra State Police as a constable. Besides, he also provided his services for the Maharashtra state CID for six years as a sub-inspector of police, under Amukuraj Patil, his CID mentor.
Shinde became a member of the Congress Party. He won the Maharashtra state assembly elections in 1974, 1980, 1985, 1990,1992.
In 2002, Shinde lost the election for the post of Vice-President of India contesting against the National Democratic Alliance candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
Shinde was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha for the second time from Maharashtra on 20 March 2006. Shinde became the Leader of Lok Sabha after his predecessor Pranab Mukherjee was elected President of India. He also served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from January 18, 2003, to October 2004. Later, he was appointed Home Minister of India in 2012.
