No more a crown prince; Rahul Gandhi officially named as Congress Vice President

Ending the 19-year long, the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday officially declared as the Party President. The announcement came amidst the Gujarat election where Rahul Gandhi is proving his mettle to take on the higher post.

Congress’ Central Election Authority (CEA) chairperson Mullapally Ramachandran announced Rahul Gandhi as the party president.

The party CEA also said that Gandhi will be taking over the party reigns from December 16, following the submission certificate at the All India Congress Committee office in Delhi.

The announcement came soon after the deadline to withdraw nomination papers ended at 3 pm on Monday.

From the beginning, the internal poll was a one-horse race with Gandhi being the only one to file the nomination, which was supported by 89 signatures.

The party which has ruled the country for over half-a-century since Independence, and which has lost all grounds of the political field, the 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family has a daunting task to revive the lost glory to the party.

Speaking to CNN News18, Member of Parliament (MP) from Assam and Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said, “This is a new day and a new beginning for Rahul Gandhi. He will take us away from the fractured path of Narendra Modi and BJP. Today starts another era for the Congress Party”.

Media reports quoted former union minister and senior party leader M Veerappa Moily said that outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi will continue to play an effective role and guide the destiny of the party.