Sonia Gandhi's legacy

She has decided to pass the baton to her son at a time of unprecedented crisis in the party's history

This refers to “Opportunistic? Or plain ingenious?” by Aditi Phadnis (December 16). As its long-time president, Sonia Gandhi alone is responsible for the survival, rise and downfall of the Congress party. She was a reluctant entrant to Indian politics but proved to be a quick learner. After initial setbacks she brought her party back to power in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections and repeated the success in 2009. However, she made three judgmental errors which led to her party’s eclipse in 2014.
 
She rewarded personal loyalty instead of competence in putting people in key positions including prime minister, ministers