Rahul Gandhi's elevation by early December

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi, 47, is all set to become Congress president in early December, before the Gujarat elections.

A meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) headed by party president Sonia Gandhi on Monday approved the schedule placed before it by the party’s central election authority (CEA) to elect the new party chief.


As per the schedule, nomination papers will be filed from December 1-4, and validity of candidatures will be announced on December 5, CEA chairman Mullappally Ramachandran said on Monday. If Rahul is the only candidate, his election can be announced on the same day.

Only in the unlikely scenario of more than one candidate, the rest of the schedule will have any relevance. In that case, candidates can withdraw their nomination up to December 11, voting will be held on December 16, and counting will be done on December 19. Gandhi, party VP since 2013, will succeed his mother Sonia who has been holding the top post for 19 years now.

He will be the sixth member of Nehru-Gandhi family to lead Congress, after Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. An overwhelming feeling among senior leaders is for Sonia Gandhi assuming a mentor’s role, especially in overseeing the coalition management of Congress in the run up to the next Lok Sabha polls.

Rahul’s imminent elevation also triggered a buzz as to whether any other leader will be made party veep even as many names are being tossed around. AICC chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala underplayed the issue by saying this was not the time to ask such questions. Asked whether any leaders can “afford to contest” against Gandhi, Surjewala said: “Can anyone ask BJP leaders why there has never been a contest for the post of BJP president?”