The sources say that, Rahul Gandhi, will take up the position of president of the Congress party soon.

Currently, Rahul Gandhi, the Vice President of the party, is on Europe tour and after returning back, next week, the official big announcement can be expected.    

Strengthening the buzz, a party functionary said, “He (Rahul) is ready to take on the mantle. It is wrong to say that he does not want to become President. There is also no truth in suggestions that Gandhi may wait till the completion of assembly polls in Assam before he is elevated as Congress President.”

However, the source refused to open up on the time, but opined that, the elevation of Gandhi, should be happening “sooner than later”.

When the same question was asked by the reporters to current party’s president, Sonia Gandhi, a few days back, she said to ask Rahul about the same, and refused to utter further on the issue.   

On the other side, Senior party leader Digvijay Singh said that, all the senior leaders, wanted the elevation to happen soon, but the decision is completely vested in the hands of Sonia Gandhi. A few other leaders in the party also opine that, Rahul should have agreed, for an elevation, long time back.

A meeting of the Congress Working Committee in September last year decided to extend the deadline of the completion of party’s internal polls for one more year till 2016. This led to a speculation that Rahul’s elevation has been advanced for one more year.

The party, however, later indicated that the Rahul Gandhi could be given the responsibility, even earlier and the one year extension is only the upper limit for completing internal polls. Sonia Gandhi’s latest term comes to an end in December this year.

The organizational polls held after five years, culminate in the election of the new party President.

Sonia Gandhi continued to be the Congress chief, since May 1998 and Rahul Gandhi started serving as the Vice President from January 2013.

By Phani Ch