7/29/2019 Rahul Gandhi officially No. 2 in Congress; appointed party Vice President

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RahulGandhiofficiallyNo.2inCongress;appointedpartyVicePresident

AftermonthsofanticipationandclamourwithintheCongress,RahulGandhihasbeenappointedVicePresident,asthepartygetsbattle-readyforthegeneralelectionsscheduledfor2014.Acceptingthenewrole,MrGandhisaidonSaturday,"Ihavegreatexperiencethisisgreatpartyandwecantransformthiscountry."

MrGandhiisnowofficiallyNo2intheCongress.Hisbossishismother,CongresspresidentSoniaGandhi.

TheappointmentwasendorsedattheCongress'highestdecision-makingbody,itsworkingcommitteeortheCWC,whichmetonSaturdayeveningattheendofatwo-daybrainstormingsessioninJaipur.

DefenceMinisterAKAntonymovedtheproposalattheCWCwhichreceivedunanimousendorsement.

"CWCacceptedtheproposalandaftertheirendorsement,MrsSoniaGandhialsogaveherapprovalandShriRahulGandhiacceptedthisresponsibility,"CongressspokespersonJanardhanaDwivedisaid.

ThepartywasquicktoemphasisethatMrsGandhiwillcontinuetoplayabigger

role."ThereisayoungerIndiaandwearethefirstpartytoincludetheyouth.SoniaGandhiisthesupremeleaderandshewillhelpwithdecisions.Shehasabiggerrole,"CongressleaderSandeepDikshitsaid.

congress-workers-celebrate-295.jpgMrGandhiwasalreadyassignedtoleadingtheparty'sstrategywhentheCongressasksvotersforathirdshotinpower.ButtheCongresssaidonSaturdaythatthepartywilldecidethePMcandidatelater."MrsGandhihasrightlyappointedRahulGandhitothepostofvicepresident.Andasfarastheprimeministerialpostisconcernedthepartywoulddecideaboutitlater,"saidCongress'SachinPilot.

TheCongresssaidMrGandhi'spromotionrepresentsitscommitmenttorepresentingtheyouthofthecountry.Heis41andinstateslikeUPandBihar,hisleadr

oleinelectionsdidnotyieldanyrealdividendsfortheparty.

ThesubstantialpresenceofyoungdelegatesattheJaipursessionisseenasasignofMrGandhi'sincreasinginfluenceontheparty.InherspeechonFriday,hismotheremphasisedanurgentneedtoaddressanalienationfromtheurbanmiddleclass,especiallytheyouth.

Recently,theCongressrespondedclumsilywhenthousandsofstudentsprotestedforweeksagainstthegang-rapeofayoungstudentonamovingbusinDelhi.Demonstrationsdemandedjusticeforthevictimandbettersecurityforwomen,andtherewashugeangeratthefailureofseniorministerstoreachouttotheprotesters.