In a much awaited decision, the Congress party on Saturday appointed the 42-year-oldRahul Gandhi as its vice president.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC), meeting here on the sidelines of the party’s two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’, passed a resolution unanimously elevating Rahul Gandhi – till now the party general secretary – as the official number two in the party.
“The entire CWC endorsed Rahul's appointment,” party chief spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters after the CWC meet.
"This decision will greatly strengthen the party and the hands of the Congress president," he stated.
Dwivedi said 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.
He said with his appointment as Vice President of Congress today, Rahul Gandhi has been elevated to the "number two" position in the party.
"In Rahul Gandhi the party has its most effective and most accepted young leader reflecting the feelings of millions of Congress workers," Dwivedi said.
The spokesperson informed that party chief Sonia Gandhi gave the nod and Rahul accepted the responsibility.
The resolution was moved by senior party leader and Defence Minister AK Antony.
As the news broke, celebrations began at the site of Jaipur conclave and at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi.
Youth Congress workers set off firecrackers and beat drums outside the residence of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at 10, Janpath.
Around 300 Youth Congress workers, including women, danced to the beat of drums in favour of Rahul Gandhi. They also set off firecrackers.
The development came amid growing clamour for declaring Rahul as the prime ministerial candidate of the party.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had earlier in the day said at the meet that the party needed to have a young leader to connect with the youth. Chavan added that youth constituency is very important at a time when the majority of the population is below 45.
"For connecting with the youth, you have to speak a different language which is not possible for the people of previous generation", he said.
AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh had been saying that the sentiment among partymen was for giving "larger and predominant" role to Rahul.
Earlier in the day, over 130 Youth Congress and NSUI leaders at the Congress' strategy session demanded a bigger role for the party's de facto number two Rahul Gandhi.
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