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Will he, won't he? Congress sets stage for 'reluctant' Rahul Gandhi to take charge as party president

The AICC session is due since 2014 and there are reports that party elections will be held in 2017

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi (Photo: PTI)

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi (Photo: PTI)

Priyanka Rathi New Delhi
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi seems to be president in waiting as party Chief Sonia Gandhi will lead from the front. While the Congress Working Committee members unanimously supported Rahul's elevation to Congress President, he was reluctant to take charge. 

In the over three-hour long CWC meet, former defence minister and senior leader AK Antony said, "It is the right time for Rahul Gandhi to take charge as the President of Congress party", to which other members agreed.

Rahul has said he was ready to accept whatever responsibility is bestowed upon him by the Congress president and the CWC, in "fighting for the idea of India." 

Ever since Sonia is keeping unwell, there have been demands by partymen for Rahul to lead the Congress. The AICC session is due since 2014 and there are reports that party elections will be held in 2017.
 

The elections in politically important states Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are due in early 2017 and the effect of change in the management will be felt in polls too. 

Not ready to take any chance with Congress's fortune, is Rahul playing safe?

AICC Communications in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "Congress Working Committee including the former prime minister Manmohan Singh, AK Antony and others, while deliberating upon challenges that lie before the nation, as also the Congress Party, unanimously expressed their keen desire, sentiments and also the wishes of crores of Congress workers that Rahul Gandhi should take over the Presidentship of Indian National Congress."

This was for the first time that the crucial CWC meeting held without party president and the vice president presiding over it, a move paving way for an immediate change of guard in the 130-year-old party
 
Rahul entered the political battlefield in 2004 and won from Amethi Parliamentary constituency by 290853 votes in his debut. The Congress also came back to power in 2004.

Seen as a youth leader, there were high expectations from him. In 2009, he again contested from Amethi and this time won by 370198 votes.


It was only in January 2013 when he was elected as party vice-president that he led the party in Delhi assembly elections and then again in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Rahul failed in both elections miserably. After 15 years of rule, Congress managed to get only eight seats in the 70-member Assembly in the national capital. And what followed was a dismal show by the Congress in Lok Sabha elections as the party just won 45 seats in 543-member Assembly. It not only raised questions on Rahul's leadership but there were demands for Sonia's daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to head the party.

Time and again, there have been reports of Rahul being inaccessible and away from reality. Rahul has failed to galvanise youth or transform it into votes.

After Lok Sabha elections, the party has seen a downfall. Battered by corruption allegations, the party lost Haryana and Maharashtra elections.

In view of corruption allegations and poor show in elections, Congress lost National Conference and Nationalist Congress Party as its ally. But the tide didnot turn for Rahul even in the new year and the Congress fared badly in 2015 Delhi polls and failed to open its account. On the other hand, Aam Aadmi Party sweept the polls and won 67 out of 70 seats in the national capital.

The Gandhi scion was missing from during the Budget Session last year and reportedly went on mysterious trip for nearly two months. A rejuvenated Rahul suddenly re-appeared during the second half of the Budget Session and was seen taking on the Naremdra Modi government on a host of issues.

Under Rahul's leadership, the party raised various issues to corner the government both in Parliament and outside in the successive sessions. 

With young faces like Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Gaurav Gogoi not being allowed to show their might, and only Rahul leading the charge,  going alone is Bihar for Congress would have been another debacle. An alliance in Bihar was hence the safest option for the party, which resulted in fruitful gains too.

While Congress managed to retain Uttarakhand, it lost Assam, a crucial north east state, to BJP. In the meantime, regional parties like Trinamool Congress, AIADMK managed to gain grounds and performed well both in Lok Sabha and state elections. With speculations rife of Rahul's elevation ahead of every election, it is just a matter of time when he says 'Yes'.

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First Published: Nov 08 2016 | 10:55 AM IST

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