Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 28 (IANS) With Rahul Gandhi’s portrait finding prominent place alongside Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the backdrop at the Youth Congress convention here, the 41-year-old leader appears to have joined the grand old party’s ‘Top Trinity’.

Following the surgery of Sonia Gandhi in August for an undisclosed ailment, political circles have been abuzz about the growing status of Rahul within the Congress.

The spacious dais of the convention named “Buniyaad” (Foundation) had a Congress plenary type setting with floor seating on mattresses and bolsters to lean back on.

Other than those of the living ‘Top Trinity’, there were portraits of 11 national legends and former Congress prime ministers. Those were of Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Bhimrao Ambedkar, Vallabhbhai Patel, Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu, Subash Chandra Bose, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

Former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, who had strained relations with Sonia Gandhi, did not find place among the honoured.

Of the 14 leaders whose portraits adorned the convention venue, five belonged to the Nehru family - former prime ministers Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and Rajiv’s wife Sonia and son Rahul.

Though Rao’s portrait was absent at the Congress plenary in Delhi last year, Sonia Gandhi pulled a surprise by lauding his economic reforms.

-*-

Though the convention was announced to begin at 10 a.m., Rahul Gandhi arrived late — at 10.40 a.m.

As the scribes commented that the Youth Congress was following the steps of the parent party in delays, the organisers had the stock answer: Delays because of security instructions.

-*-

Hindi was the flavour of the speeches at the convention, which is attended by around 7,000 youths from various states. Rahul Gandhi delivered his 13-minute speech in Hindi fluently.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram was the lone English speaker. Rama, a local leader from Kerala, who had a surprise invitation to address the gathering struggled with a few English words initially, and declared that she is able to speak only in Malayalam. A leader took the next mike to translate her speech into English.

-*-

Despite all the hype and claims, the presence of the women was less both on the dais and at the gathering. Congress secretaries Meenakshi Natarajan and Shanimol Usman were among the party leaders on the dais.

-*-

About 150 seats were reserved for special invitees - MPs, MLAs and other leaders. Only ten were occupied. Indicating the changing face of IYC, former election commissioner K.J. Rao, who was among those who oversaw the IYC polls, and youth trainers were seated on the dais.

-*-

Several IYC leaders wanted to stay in their respective state government ‘homes’ in the capital, instead of in the tents put up at the venue. But most of them decided to stay back at the Japanese Park amid speculation that Rahul Gandhi may stay with them or at least pay a visit to the camp at night.