Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s challenges are huge but it remains to be seen if he manages to work without the interference of the Gandhi family. It’s because of his open admission that he was asked by Sonia Gandhi to contest for the Presidential post against a somewhat of a rebel in Shashi Tharoor. The party is in disarray despite Rahul Gandhi’s padyatra getting traction in South India. Gandhi scion remains upbeat with his Yatra throwing confusing signals on who is the boss in AICC. Kharge is a veteran who can manage to start rebuilding a party that seems to have lost its way and social and political relevance. His being a south India is advantage Congress. No miracles are expected but at least he could stem the rot. Sonia Gandhi is a sagacious leader minus her mindset that a political party is like property and has to be inherited. Hope she will allow Kharge to work independently and not create an impression that it’s a stop gap arrangement.