Rahul Gandhi elected Congress President 'unopposed'; first fight with PM Modi is Gujarat election

After much reluctance, Nehru-Gandhi family scion Rahul Gandhi seems to be ready to take over the Congress party throne, marking a generational shift in the grand-old party. The 47-year-old on Monday was declared party president by the Congress more than four years after he became the vice-president in January 2013. Congress' Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran on Monday that said as many as 89 nomination papers proposing Rahul's name were received and all of them were valid. His mother Sonia Gandhi, who served as the party president since 1998, is the longest serving Congress president to date. Rahul would officially take over the party president post on December 16.
 
"Since the withdrawal of date/time is over and as there is only one candidate (Rahul), as per Article XVII (d) of the Constitution of Indian National Congress, I hereby declare Rahul Gandhi elected as president of the Indian National Congress," Ramachandran said.
 
Rahul Gandhi has taken over the party at a time when the Congress, which once controlled almost the entire country, rules just five states and a Union Territory. He faces an uphill task to stop ever growing saffron surge in the country, though his track record as the vice-president doesn't pose a bright picture for the 132-year-old party that faced several defeats in Assembly - except Punjab- as well as Lok Sabha elections. Political analysts say the constantly declining performance of the Congress in Assembly elections would make it difficult for Rahul Gandhi to challenge the BJP in the upcoming General Elections in 2019.
 
The elevation process, however, seems just a formality as Rahul Gandhi was the only one in fray for the party top post; he filed nomination on December 4. Though Sonia Gandhi was holding the top post, Rahul was the de facto leader as all major political decisions of the Congress were taken under his command. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his election campaign in Gujarat recently, had termed Rahul's supposed elevation as "Aurangzeb raj".  Interestingly, the results for the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh would be declared two days after his elevation, which would definitely mark Rahul's journey as the president.
 
After the news related to Rahul Gandhi's elevation broke on Monday, political leaders congratulated him for being elected as the party president "unopposed".  Congress national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said the moment is the beginning of a new, energised, positive and progressive era in the party.
 
Rather than congratulating Rahul Gandhi, National Conference leader and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah preferred to express his regards towards outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi, giving his "personal & profound gratitude for her leadership".
 
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said "Rahul Gandhi is an able leader. I am sure we are going to win the Gujarat elections." He told ANI that that the entire country had lots of expectations from Rahul. "Much before he was elected he has shown his mettle. He knows his responsibility," he said.
 
Congress national spokesperson Sanjay Jha tweeted: "A great human being. A compassionate man. A far-sighted visionary. A relentless fighter for the marginalized. A true-blue believer in liberal values.  A secular democrat.  A long-distance runner. Welcome @OfficeOfRG!"