Rahul Gandhi’s elevation shows Congress’ commitment towards youth

The maiden speech by the newly appointed Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was filled with emotions, determination and clear vision for the future. The speech came at the end of a day-long All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting in Jaipur. There was pin-drop silence for most part as 1,500 people heard him speak. Before that, through the day, he sat to the right of Sonia Gandhi on the ground on a massive stage, flanked by many senior Congress leaders, listening keenly to other speakers. The mood in the Congress has been buoyant since last night when his appointment was announced and proceedings in the morning were delayed for some minutes as excited AICC delegates raised slogans in praise of Mr Gandhi, who smiled and raised folded hands in greeting.

Rahul Gandhi thanked the party for appointing him vice president; the elevation was endorsed at the Congress' highest decision-making body, its working committee or the CWC, at the end of a two-day chintan shivir. It is expected to galvanise party workers after a series of demoralising electoral setbacks.

The Congress President Sonia Gandhi also has said that the good presence of youth in the AICC session reflects her party’s commitment towards the youth. Assembly elections will be held in nine states in 2013, beginning February when three north-eastern states go to the polls. Elections will be held this year in crucial Congress-held states like Rajasthan and Delhi and in states that it hopes to wrest from main rival the BJP, like Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

 The day-long AICC session wraps up the party's deliberations in Jaipur to devise strategy for the general elections scheduled for 2014; a "Jaipur Declaration" was adopted by the party. As the head of the Congress' election committee, Rahul Gandhi has the charge of leading that strategy when the ruling party asks voters for a third straight shot at power.

Rahul Gandhi takes up big responsibility; will lead Congress panel for 2014 poll

Signaling his larger role in the party, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has been appointed the head of the Congress Coordination panel for 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The other members in the committee headed by Rahul Gandhi are Ahmed Patel, Janardan Dwivedi, Digvijay Singh, Madhusudan Mistry and Jairam Ramesh. The Congress also will be setting up of three Sub-Groups, including one on the key issue of pre-poll alliances, which will be headed by senior leader A K Antony.

"As announced by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the Sanvad Baithak at Surajkund, she has constituted an Election Coordination Committee and three Sub-Groups keeping in view the Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2014", Dwivedi, the AICC Media Department Chairperson, informed.

The move to make 42-year-old Rahul Gandhi head of the Election Coordination Committee shows that he is going to take up more responsibilities in the party ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha poll. Congress hopes that it can perform well under the charming and energetic leadership of a young politician like Rahul
Gandhi who enjoys tremendous mass appeal.

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Rahul Gandhi to head the Congress panel for the 2014 polls

Congress General Secretary and Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi has been appointed as the chairman of the party’s six-member coordination committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The move is a follow-up of the Congress meet at Surajkund recently and is accompanied by the setting up of three other sub-groups. The others on the committee are Ahmed Patel, Janardan Dwivedi, Digvijay Singh, Madhusudan Mistry and Jairam Ramesh.

The three other sub-groups also indicate the areas of concern for the party with an eye on the preparations for the elections. These include pre-poll alliances, preparation of manifesto and the government’s programme implementation, as well as communications and publicity.

The move by the Congress clearly indicates that Rahul Gandhi is surely going to have an upper hand in the party’s decision. As a young leader and with a potential mass appeal, Rahul Gandhi can definitely take his party to new heights with the blessing of his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

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Rahul Gandhi to lead 2014 poll campaign

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi will lead the party’s campaign in the next 2014 general elections. Rahul will head a high-power five-man Election Co-ordination Committee to “oversee all party activities related to the next elections,” a senior functionary informed.

This committee, along with three sub-groups — on pre-poll alliances, the manifesto and government programmes, and communications and publicity — general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said, was constituted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi following the announcement she made on November 9 at the Samvad Baithak at Surajkund. “With a year and half left for the Lok Sabha elections,” Sonia Gandhi said on that occasion, “both party and government will have to work cohesively together to ensure that we secure a renewed mandate.” In keeping with that assurance, of the 27 persons drafted for pre-election work, 11 are Central ministers.

While the activities listed are not unusual, this is the first time the tasks have been given “institutional shape.” From managing the youth wings, Rahul Gandhi will move to a more central task in the organisation as it heads into what is one of the toughest elections the grand old party has ever faced in its history. An effort has been made to give the party’s core team for the next elections a younger look: even then, only six of the 27 are below 50.

The other members of the Election Coordination Committee, which has already had one sitting, are Ms. Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel, party general secretaries Janardan Dwivedi, Digvijay Singh and Madhusudan Mistry, and Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh. Defence Minister A.K. Antony heads the sub-groups on pre-poll alliances and manifesto and government programmes, while Mr. Digvijay Singh heads the communications and publicity sub-group.

Mr. Antony’s colleagues in the pre-poll alliances sub-group are Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily, MoS Jitendra Singh, party general secretary Mukul Wasnik, and party functionaries Suresh Pachauri and Mohan Prakash. The manifesto and government programmes sub-group is the largest: apart from Mr. Antony, Union Ministers P. Chidambaram, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Anand Sharma and Salman Khurshid, party spokespersons Sandeep Dikshit and Renuka Chowdhury, party functionary Ajit Jogi, chairman of the SC Commission P.L. Punia are members. Lastly, those in the communications sub-group, headed by Mr. Digvijay Singh, are senior party leader Ambika Soni, MoSs Manish Tewari, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Rajeev Shukla, and MPs Deependra Hooda and Bhakta Charan Das.

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Rahul Gandhi in Delhi: Nation is supreme for Congress

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi encouraged Congress supporters on Sunday, at a big rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, defending the UPA government and exhorting the youth to join politics. He also underlined the need of changing and cleansing the existing political system in the country.

Slamming the opposition Rahul Gandhi said “The opposition is indulged in negative politics. They just oppose to anything we do. It was BJP who initiated the FDI in retail policy, but it was a weak bill. But when we introduced a strong bill they just opposed it. They spread rumours that the small traders will be affected badly by the FDI.  But FDI will benefit farmers. They will be able to use the facilities like cold storages and food processing.  They will be able to stand on their own”. 

“Our country is fast growing and the entire globe appreciates that. But here the opposition just opposes all our development oriented policies. They are not bothered about the losses of the farmers, workers or the youth. We also were in opposition. When the Kargil war broke out, we stood by the government and extended our whole hearted support to the Vajpayee Government. We never opposed any move by the government which is helpful for the country and the people. Because, the country is supreme for us” said Rahul Gandhi.

While concluding his address Rahul Gandhi said “The Congress is here to bring in development. We are here to cleanse the system. We know that we have the support of the people and that is why you have come here in large numbers. Congress is committed for the farmers, weaker sections and the poor. We also understand that for development we need liberalization and economic reforms. Only when businesses operate well will there be progress, and then we can run programmes to benefit the poor.  I am confident that our country will stand up and the entire world will appreciate us”

Exhorting the youth Rahul Gandhi said “The youth here will show not just India but also the whole world the way forward. The Congress will help them by giving space in our political journey”.  

The rally was one of the biggest one witnessed by Delhi in which thousands of people from various parts of the country had attended. The rally was also addressed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alongwith several senior leaders.

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