My role now is to retire from Congress party

New Delhi, December 15: Congress President Sonia Gandhi addressing media outside Parliament in New Delhi, broke her silence over the party's future. The 71-yr old led India's oldest party as its president for nearly 2 decades.

Sonia Gandhi currently represents the Nehru-Gandhi bastion of Raebareli in the LS, a seat earlier held by her mother-in-law and former PM Indira Gandhi.

The twin seats of Amethi and Raebareli have been held by the Nehru-Gandhi family for most parts of the last five decades. Sonia's statement also raised questions if she will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, the party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala today announced on Twitter about Sonia Gandhi's retirement. Through his post, he urged "friends in the media to not rely upon innuendos."

"Smt. Sonia Gandhi has retired as President of Indian National Congress and not from politics. Her blessings, wisdom and innate commitment to Congress ideology shall always be our guiding light. A day before her son Rahul Gandhi takes over as Congress president, his mother Sonia Gandhi hinted that she's close to retiring from politics," his tweed further read.

Sonia Gandhi is also the longest-serving president of the party. She took charge of the party's responsibility in 1998, succeeding Sitaram Kesri. Under her leadership, Congress, in alliance with several parties, came to power in 2004, while she spearheaded the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) as its head. Sonia Gandhi also chaired as National Advisory Council (NAC) chief. Under her charge as the President, Congress and the UPA alliance came to power again in 2009.