Rahul Gandhi appointed Cong general secretary

Rahul Gandhi's promotion comes in an apparent indication that Congress was gearing for possible mid-term polls.

Congress party named Rahul Gandhi, heir of the Nehru-Gandhi family, as one of its general-secretaries on Monday, in an apparent indication the organisation was gearing for possible early polls.

The 37-year-old MP from Amethi had announced in the party’s plenary at Hyderabad last year that he was ready to play an active role in the organisation if the party leadership decides so.

There have been demands from party leaders, including AICC General Secretaries, that Rahul, who has been described as a future leader and potential prime minister, should be inducted into the organisation as general secretary to enthuse the party rank and file.

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The secretariat level changes in the AICC are being planned amidst possibility of mid-term polls.

Though Rahul led the party campaign in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections without much success, the party leaders, including AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot, have termed it as a blessing in disguise.

The refrain in the party is that the young leader has gone through the rough and tumble of the politically key state dominated by the politics of caste and community, that acted as a learning ground for him and could act as a springboard for his launch into national politics.

Talks are also doing the rounds that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has been planning reconstitution of the AICC secretariat as also several state units, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

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Delhi, which goes to polls next year, recently got a new PCC chief in J P Aggarwal.

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are facing elections next year.

The reshuffle also comes ahead of the battle of the ballot in Gujarat, where Congress is gearing up to give Narendra Modi a run for his money.

Sonia Gandhi has so far maintained that it is for Rahul to decide what responsibility he would like to take up in the party.

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In the 80’s, Rahul’s father Rajiv Gandhi was made the party General Secretary and became the Prime Minister after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

There have been demands that Rahul be made in-charge of the frontal organisations, including the Youth Congress and NSUI.

There has been speculation that Gehlot and party general secretary Digvijay Singh could be given other responsibilities in view of the ensuing assembly elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh respectively.