Cong wants Dhoni magic in Rahul

cricket & AICC Sonia, a ‘hardened football fan’, bowled over by T20 victory

Mahendra singh dhoni and his boys have got a new fan, Congress President Sonia Gandhi. A “hardened” football fan, as she revealed to senior party office-bearers on Tuesday, Sonia was bowled over by the Indian team’s spirited performance in South Africa that coincided with her son Rahul Gandhi’s induction into the organisation as General Secretary.

The Congress chief now wants to hold a felicitation ceremony for the T-20 World Cup champions at the Nehru Stadium, according to sources present at the meeting held in the AICC headquarters. Sonia had come to the party headquarters with Rahul who took charge as AICC General Secretary

in charge of Youth Congress and NSUI.

After the heir apparent left the AICC headquarters to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Sonia and the party general secretaries and secretaries discussed cricket, hockey and football. One of them remarked that two things had happened the same day—a young cricket team brought glory to India by winning the World Cup and another young team led by Rahul taking charge in the Congress.

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With Sonia in a jovial mood, AICC general secretaries and former Union Ministers for Youth Affairs Margaret Alva and Mukul Wasnik took the centrestage saying how Rajiv Gandhi had revived some traditional sports of tribals and the current status of different games in the country. One of the general secretaries remarked that cricket is a slow game while football is much faster. Sonia responded that she was also a “hardened football fan”.

On Monday evening, Sonia had sent a congratulatory note to the Indian team in South Africa. Addressing Dhoni, she wrote: “My heart swells with pride and joy as I join every Indian in celebrating Team India’s magnificent victory in the ICC Twenty 20 World Championship in Johannesburg. Inspired captaincy, brilliant bowling, batting and fielding, and above all wonderful team work has made this a memorably thrilling victory, and has rekindled the true spirit of cricket.”

The Congress now hopes that Rahul, like Dhoni, will also win the “next big match” (parliamentary election). “Yesterday afternoon saw youth power reflected within a few hours of each other, first the induction of Rahul to a position involving youth power and then Dhoni and his men charting India to a magnificent victory. I have no doubt that Rahul will return the compliment by winning the next big match,” said AICC spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

During his brief stay at the party headquarters, Rahul inspected party General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi’s room, which has been selected as his office. It is adjoining the Congress President’s office.

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But the visit to the party office was not a happy experience for the young scion. Rahul left the SPG behind and walked over to the party headquarters through a gate linking it with 10, Janpath. But the move turned out to be a security nightmare as Rahul was mobbed by slogan-shouting party activists who pushed him from all directions until he managed to enter the main building. SPG had to be called in later to ensure his and Sonia’s return through the back door.