Rahul Gandhi to head Congress Coordination panel for 2014 LS poll

In a move signaling his larger role in the party, Rahul Gandhi was today made the head of the Congress Coordinaton Committee for 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Senior leaders Ahmed Patel, Janardan Dwivedi, Digvijay Singh, Madhusudan Mistry and Jairam Ramesh are the members of the Election Coordination Committee headed by Gandhi, AICC Generasl Secretary Janardan Dwivedi announced.

He also announced the setting up of three Sub-Groups, including one on the key issue of pre-poll alliances, which will be headed by senior leader A K Antony.

The Defence Minister is also chairing the Sub-Group on manifesto and government programmes while Digvijay Singh heads the Communication and Publicity Sub-Group.

"As announced by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the Sanvad Baithak at Surajkund, she has constituted an Election Coordination Committee and three Sub-Groups keeping in view the Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2014", Dwivedi, who is also AICC Media Department Chairperson, said.

The move to make 42-year-old Rahul Gandhi head of the Election Coordination Committee is indicative of his growing profile in the party ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha poll and is being seen as a precursor to his projection as the party's face in the coming electoral battle.

Other members of the Pre-Poll Alliances Sub-Group are M Veerappa Moily, Mukul Wasnik, Suresh Pachouri, Jitendra Singh and Mohan Prakash.

The Manifesto and Government Programmes Sub Group, also headed by Antony, has P Chidambaram, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Anand Sharma, Salman Khurshid, Sandeep Dikshit, Ajit Jogi, Renuka Chowdhary and P L Punia as members. The Committee also has Mohan Gopal, who is an expert, as a special invitee.

The Communications and Publicity Sub Group, chaired by Digvijay, has former I and B Minister Ambika Soni, her successor Manish Tewari, Deepender Hooda, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Rajiv Shukla and Bhakta Charan Das as members.

Announcing the setting up of a Coordination Group and sub-groups with specific tasks at the party's Samvad Baithak on November 9 at Surajkund, Gandhi had said that "with a year and half left for the Lok Sabha elections, both party and government will have to work cohesively together to ensure that we secure a renewed mandate".

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