Even in the last general election, Rahul Gandhi had played an important behind-the-scenes role and had left a mark in Uttar Pradesh in particular, where the Congress had done surprisingly well.
As such, there is no particular surprise in his formal elevation on Thursday to the position of head of the Congress committee that will oversee the execution of the party’s overall strategy for the next Lok Sabha election, the preparation for which can be said to have begun.
In 2009, the Congress might not have expected to return to power. This may have been a reason Mr Gandhi was not given oversight responsibilities for the poll campaign for the entire country by his party. Normally, after two consecutive terms, the Congress might have been expected to be relegated to the Opposition benches. However, given the shape that other parties or political fronts are in, the Congress might be fancying its chances yet again.
In that case Mr Gandhi’s formally elevated status puts him in line for the top job in 2014. We may then expect that those who get the party’s nod to contest will be his nominees by and large. In the circumstances, Mr Gandhi may not be formally designated as Sonia Gandhi’s number two, as had been widely speculated.