Rahul Gandhi's one year as Congress president and road ahead for him, his party

Rahul Gandhi on Sunday completed his first year as the Congress president and his party's splendid performance in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh coincided with this occasion, raising his stature as a leader and enhancing his image as a serious politician.

Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi/ File AFP image

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Sunday completed his first year as the Congress president and his party's splendid performance in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh coincided with this occasion, raising his stature as a leader and enhancing his image as a serious politician. He took over the reign of the party from her mother on December 16, 2018. "On the first anniversary of taking over as Congress President, I reiterate my commitment to building a strong, united and vibrant Congress party. I am overwhelmed by the greetings and messages I have received today and thank each and every one of you for your affection and support," Gandhi tweeted on Sunday. Under Gandhi's leadership, Congress has improved its performance in Gujarat and won several by-elections in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh but failed to live up to its reputation and was cornered by dominating performances by the NDA. But results of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh will not only strengthen the Congress' prospect in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections but will serve as a morale booster for the party cadre, which looked in shambles since it was struck by the Modi wave in 2014. In a time when the political discourse is being dominated by the slogans of 'Congress Mukt Bharat', Gandhi's first year story at the helm of party affairs was not only of survival but also of the revival of the party. The 48-year-old is the fifth person from the Gandhi-Nehru family to head the Grand Old Party. The Congress in Gandhi's leadeship registered the first victory in January 2018, when the party won the bye-elections for Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency, both of which were previously held by BJP. He, however, couldn't save the party from facing defeat in Meghalaya state assembly elections, where the alliance government of Congress and United Democratic Party was uprooted to pave way for National People's Party-led government. Defeated but not demoralised, Congress marched ahead and registered its first major victory in May under his leadership by winning the popular vote, leaving no elbow space for the BJP, and stitched up an alliance with JD-S to form the government. Gandhi not only worked on political turnarounds but also worked hard towards changing his as well as his party's image. He strived hard to shed the minority-favouring image of the party by moving from one temple to another, presenting himself as an ardent follower of Lord Shiva and also embarking on a Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The Congress under Gandhi's leadership also became more social media savvy. The Twitter and Facebook space which were primarily dominated by BJP witnessed a fierce competition from the Congress as part of the refreshed strategy. In coming times, his political understanding will be on test based on his ability to forge a grand-alliance of non-BJP forces. As of now, after the electoral win in the three key states, the Gandhi scion is sounding more confident than ever, looks fiercer to take-on his opposition yet the real test of his leadership would be the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. (With inputs from ANI)