Congress President

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The President of the All India Congress Committee, and therefore of the Congress Party as a whole, is known as the Congress President.

Traditionally, the post rotated between prominent members of the party, successive terms for the same person being frowned upon. During Nehru's premiership, he rarely held the Presidency of Congress, eventhough he was always head of the Legislative Party. During Indira Gandhi's premiership, she monopolised the position of Congress President after the first Congress split of 1969; her son Rajiv Gandhi continued that tendency.

Under Narasimha Rao, the Congress President was again different from the Prime Minister; Sitaram Kesri held the post for many years, as successive terms were now considered acceptable. This has continued to be the case: Sonia Gandhi is the current Congress President, but not Prime Minister.