New Delhi : The Congress has quietly deferred anointment of Rahul Gandhi as its president by two months, with hints that it may come on December 28 on the foundation day of the party. There is, however, no official word yet as a top source in 10 Janpath said on Saturday that no decision had been taken as yet on which he should take over the party’s command from his mother Sonia Gandhi.
He said there are two views on when he should assume charge and that is why a Congress Working Committee planned around middle of October to fix the date was postponed to let all party leaders for the present concentrate on Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. While one section of party leaders want Rahul’s immediate elevation on the ground that he will have a greater impact if he campaigns in the two elections, another section insists that all time should be devoted by the party and Rahul to electioneering, instead of getting attention diverted in the formal election of the new Congress President.
Insiders say even Rahul may like to wait for his elevation after the election results are out on December 18 as he does not want to start his inning with the possible defeat in Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh, though he is confident that he has turned the tide against the BJP in Gujarat, the home ground of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Those insisting on Rahul’s campaign as the new party president say he is already working as the functional head of the party since Sonia is not keeping in good health and as such the Assembly elections results, whether positive or negative, will be linked to him only.
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