The scion of India’s Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has been widely tipped as a future prime minister and is initially expected to take over as defence minister.
“I will play a more proactive role in the party and the government. The decision has been taken, the timing is up to my two bosses – the Congress president and the prime minister,” he said.
Mr Gandhi, 42, who is the son, grandson and great-grandson of Indian leaders, is seen as the Congress party’s hope for the future, especially after recent election set backs.
However, he headed Congress’s unsuccessful campaign in Uttar Pradesh state polls in March. The party won just 28 of the 403 seats at stake for the state’s legislative assembly, when they had been hoping for over 100 seats.
On Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi, Congress leader, said it was up to her son to decide on taking up a bigger role.
Janardan Dwivedi, the Congress spokesman, hailed Mr Gandhi’s commitment as a “welcome step” for Congress, which leads a coalition government but has been struggling to contain inflation, fiscal deficit, sliding growth and a string of corruption scandals.
“We will be very happy if Rahul Gandhi takes on some more responsibility and it will be a very welcome step,” Mr Dwivedi said in a statement, adding it was up to the party to offer a political berth or an official post to Gandhi.
Veerappa Moily, the corporate affairs minister, responded with equal enthusiasm.
“This is a time when we require the enthusiastic and passionate youth leader to take a greater role not only in politics but also governance of this country,” Mr Moily said.
The development follows urgings by Law Minister Salman Khurshid for Mr Gandhi to take a greater political role.
