After the dramatic election results in India, everyone thought that Sonia Gandhi would be the next prime minister.

But last Tuesday she declined the post. I think it was the right decision for her. By taking the decision she has created an example in politics. For this decision , the BJP is now totally defeated, because most of the BJP members were going too far on the issue of Sonia's origin . Sonia's decision will not only increase her acceptability to the Indian people as a true leader, but also to the whole world.

Rokonuzzaman Sohel, On e-mail

We are not only perplexed but also appalled at Sonia's decision to jettison premiership. Typically, by discarding the party proposal she proved that she is politically urbane and pragmatic. Actually, she is the victim of BJP's xenophobia. Shusma Swaraj, Uma Bharti, Narendro Modi and co have lowered the prestige of Indian democracy. They maligned Sonia Gandhi scurrilously. It is ambiguous to me why Mr. Vajpayee keeps mum while the rank and file of the BJP oppose Sonia as PM of India, which is undemocratic. Sonia has been the citizen of India since 1983, and she has every right to be prime minister as declared by the Supreme Court of India.

It is evident that BJP members are politically narrow minded and parochial. They should keep in mind that though they are advanced in IT and space technology, they are not politically civilised. Narendro Modi, the butcher of Gujarat, cannot call Sonia a Jersy cow and Rahul a hybrid calf. Shusma Swaraj cannot threaten to shave her head , if Sonia were to become prime minister. They lack political decorum and decency.

Molla Mohammad Shaheen, Dept of English, DU

Sonia Gandhi created history twice within the span of a mere week, first by leading the Congress to victory in the general election against all odds; and second, by declining the post of prime minister something unthinkable in the politics of this region. The return on such moral investment is invisible and invincible.

The good will thus created is charged, and the dividend would be seen in the near future, when she bounces back, undisputed and unopposed. She beat Vajpayee, the outgoing PM, in his own game--he was good enough to give up like a true gentleman with humility.

These examples would set precedents in the Saarc region in changing political cultures. The masses had been under duress these decades for third class leadership, barring some rare exceptions.

The least that Dhaka could do is to imitate some of the virtues.

A Mawaz, Dhaka