Former President Pranab Mukhererjee retired from the post on 25 July handing over the office to 14th President of India Ram Nath Kovind.
After Mukherjee’s retirement, Congress is hoping that his political and intellectual assets will help the party to overcome the challenges it is facing currently. The party hoped that Mukherjee would become a political counsellor to Congress after leaving Rashtrapati Bhavan. Congress member Mani Shankar Aiyar in his statement to TOI expressed that “Mukherjee would start advising Congress to take the party from “nadir to near zenith”.
However, Mukherjee’s daughter and spokesperson for Delhi Congress Sharmistha has ruled out any such possibilities. She said that her father would not return to active politics now, though he will help anyone who seeks his advice regardless of the party he belongs to. She further added that from the time Mukherjee had assumed office as the President he was above any party politics.
She also assured that her father was like a treasure, with tremendous political and administrative experience, if any leader from any political party wants to avail his experience he will surely help. This is the reason that he earned respect amongst all political parties.