The Gandhi family should hand over the leadership to others for India to have a credible opposition

Sonia and Rahul own up responsibility for defeat

Said : The New York Times Editorial Board on it's Opinion Pages column today. Andrew Rosenthal, the editorial page editor of The New York Times, is in charge of the paper's opinion pages. 

The editorial, titled "With Narendra Modi, a Change in India", has described Narendra Modi's victory as 'historical' whereas the Congress party' defeat as 'crushing and humiliating.' In a clear advice to the Gandhi family, the editorial board says : "The loss was so humiliating for the Indian National Congress party, which has governed for most of India’s independence, that it was unclear if it could rebuild its prominence. The Gandhi family, which dominates the party, should hand over the leadership to others. That is the only chance for India to have a credible opposition."

Narendra Modi at his victory speech

The editorial argues that "the victory gives Mr. Modi the chance to revitalize the economy and shape the way India engages with the world. How he moves forward will matter to Indians clamoring for jobs and development, but also to others, including the United States, which sees India as a vital economic and security partner in Asia." It goes on to say that "Mr. Modi needs to deliver on his vow to make progress, and he and Washington must confront differences on global trade issues," hinting that the new Indian government should open its economy up to greater trade and foreign investment. 

The editors have also suggested that "the two countries should pursue deeper cooperation beyond occasional military exercises and arms sales, like calming tensions between China and Vietnam over regional waterways, building peace between India and Pakistan and stabilizing Afghanistan."

The editorial noted that Mr. Modi had set very high expectations for economic revival and his government. It appreciated his promise to work for the good of all Indians in the victory speech in Vadodara and opined that to fulfill peoples' expectations, he will need to stick to that commitment.

About The New York Times Editorial Board


The editorial board is composed of 18 journalists with wide-ranging areas of expertise. Their primary responsibility is to write The Times’s editorials, which represent the voice of the board, its editor and the publisher. The board is part of The Times’s editorial department, which is operated separately from The Times’s newsroom, and includes the Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed sections.