New Delhi, Dec 11: Rahul Gandhi has become the Congress President-elect with the deadline to withdraw nomination for internal polls ending at 3pm today. Gandhi, however, may officially take charge on December 16 when his mother and longest-serving party president Sonia Gandhi formally hands over the baton to him, marking a generational shift in the grand old party.
AICC spokesperson says the deadline for withdrawing nominations was 3pm today. All 89 nominations papers for Rahul Gandhi have been found valid. As the only candidate, Rahul Gandhi is declared Congress President.
“This is a historic moment,” says party leader MM Ramachandran.
Sonia Gandhi will formally hand over the reins of the party to her son on Saturday, December 16 at 11am. a party source said.
The Congress’ Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, and CEA members Madhusudan Mistry and Bhubaneswar Kalita announced Rahul Gandhi as the only nomination for the top job in a press conference held at 24, Akbar Road, New Delhi.
Large numbers of Congress workers were seen celebrating outside the party headquarters in New Delhi.
Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, is busy campaigning in Gujarat.