Rahul Gandhi appointed as Congress Vice President

Jaipur: Rahul Gandhi was on Saturday formally elevated to the number two position in the Congress party after being appointed its Vice President, but his role in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls would be decided later.

The anointment of the 42-year-old leader nine years after he entered politics was formalised at the meeting of the party’s highest policy making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), which unanimously adopted a resolution for this moved by Defence Minister A K Antony.

Janardan Dwivedi, chief spokesperson of the party, who made the much-awaited announcement, told reporters as to what will be Rahul’s role in the next election or whether he will lead the election campaign will be decided later.
Any election or campaign related decisions will be taken at a later stage,” Dwivedi said after the CWC meeting held on the sidelines of the two-day Chintan Shivir (brainstorming conclave).

He said with his appointment as Vice President of Congress on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi has been elevated to the “number two” position in the party.

“This decision will greatly strengthen the party and the hands of the Congress President. The Congress is a pan-India party which is the only unifying force that unites all sections.

“In Rahul Gandhi the party has its most effective and most accepted young leader reflecting the feelings of millions of Congress workers,” Dwivedi said.

Rahul becomes the third Vice President of the party in its recent history — the earlier ones being Arjun Singh under Rajiv Gandhi and Jitendra Prasada under Sitaram Kesri.

Kamlapati Tripathi was the Working President during the tenure of Indira Gandhi.

The second term MP from Amethi is expected to make his address at the AICC session tomorrow that will begin with Sonia Gandhi’s speech.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a number of senior ministers and leaders are expected to speak before the AICC adopts its ‘Jaipur Declaration’ covering political, economic and other issues.

Dwivedi said at the CWC meeting, Antony said he wanted to propose Rahul’s name as Vice President since for a long time Congress workers have been making the demand and the media was also speculating that he should be given an important post.

“So that’s why I propose that Shri Rahul Gandhi be made Vice President. The whole CWC supported this by thumping of desks. After their support, the Congress President gave her consent and thereafter Rahul Gandhi accepted the post,” he
said quoting Antony.

Rahul’s appointment comes 16 months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and at a time when BJP appears to be zeroing in on Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate.