Political obituaries are easy to write but political events are far more difficult to predict.&nbsp;

Political parties rebound from losses and state elections are not the key to understanding the prevalent mood in the country. The BJP misunderstood the verdict of the assembly elections and called early national elections, only to lose them to the UPA in 2004. Similarly,&nbsp; the AAP misunderstood its resurgence and failed terribly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

But that does not mean that verdicts have no meaning at all.&nbsp;

Byelections indicate a trend and if capitalised on, can turn into tsunamis. Whether it was the re-election of Indira Gandhi from Medak in 1980 or of VP Singh from Allahabad in 1987, those byelections demonstrated the mood of the nation and the complacency of a party in a particular area.

In one case, it foretold the return of Indira and in the other, showcased the unity of the Opposition and the undoing of the Congress. The former ended Indira&rsquo;s political isolation while the latter led to Rajiv Gandhi&rsquo;s isolation the numbers being with him.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-bypolls-up-shocker-sp-wins-both-yogi-bastion-of-gorakhpur-and-phulpur-seat-35824" target="_blank">Gorakhpur byelection</a> points in this direction.

The incumbent government is getting politically isolated. Political isolation is often a prelude to intense electoral Opposition directed against an individual.

The first time such phenomena was witnessed in India was while Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister.

Already rattled by the call of total revolution and an adverse court judgement, Indira imposed the Emergency. It united the Opposition and from Congress vs the rest, the battle turned into Indira vs the rest. Similarly, Rajiv Gandhi too faced an onslaught from his former colleagues on the charge of corruption and the entire Opposition fell in line, turning that tussle into Rajiv Gandhi vs the rest.&nbsp;

The same phenomenon is being witnessed today.

In both cases, before the loss at the hustings, Indira and Rajiv were politically isolated and bereft of any sympathy or support outside their own parties. Both times, senior leaders of the Congress jumped ship and joined the Opposition. Despite having the numbers and their achievements, those governments became lame-duck ones. And Indira and Rajiv became the target&nbsp;of ridicule and caustic campaigns which eroded their gravitas in public life. The results&nbsp;were mandates which ousted them from power.

The incumbent government also faces the spectre of political isolation from not only the Opposition but also its own allies.

The problem stems from its strength and not its weakness. Its allies are worried the BJP has not participated in the&nbsp;give-and-take that is part of a coalition government. For the Opposition meanwhile, it is matter of survival. And in all of this, Prime Minister Modi stands alone.

The general election is still a year away and the ideological contradictions of regional parties that band together may repel the electorate. The electorate may even stay with the BJP because of the lack of an Opposition prime ministerial candidate matching Modi&rsquo;s stature but that does not belie the fact that the BJP stands alone today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The BJP stands alone today, isolated not only from the Opposition but also its own allies

Political obituaries are easy to write but political events are far more difficult to predict. Political parties rebound from losses and state elections are not the key to understanding the prevalent mood in the country. The BJP misunderstood the verdict of the assembly elections and called early national elections, only to lose them to the UPA in 2004. Similarly, the AAP misunderstood its resurgence and failed terribly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. But that does not mean that verdicts have no meaning at all. Byelections indicate a trend and if capitalised on, can turn into tsunamis. Whether it was the re-election of Indira Gandhi from Medak in 1980 or of VP Singh from Allahabad in 1987, those byelections demonstrated the mood of the nation and the complacency of a party in a particular area. In one case, it foretold the return of Indira and in the other, showcased the unity of the Opposition and the undoing of the Congress. The former ended Indira’s political isolation while the latter led to Rajiv Gandhi’s isolation the numbers being with him. The Gorakhpur byelection points in this direction. The incumbent government is getting politically isolated. Political isolation is often a prelude to intense electoral Opposition directed against an individual. The first time such phenomena was witnessed in India was while Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. Already rattled by the call of total revolution and an adverse court judgement, Indira imposed the Emergency. It united the Opposition and from Congress vs the rest, the battle turned into Indira vs the rest. Similarly, Rajiv Gandhi too faced an onslaught from his former colleagues on the charge of corruption and the entire Opposition fell in line, turning that tussle into Rajiv Gandhi vs the rest. The same phenomenon is being witnessed today. In both cases, before the loss at the hustings, Indira and Rajiv were politically isolated and bereft of any sympathy or support outside their own parties. Both times, senior leaders of the Congress jumped ship and joined the Opposition. Despite having the numbers and their achievements, those governments became lame-duck ones. And Indira and Rajiv became the target of ridicule and caustic campaigns which eroded their gravitas in public life. The results were mandates which ousted them from power. The incumbent government also faces the spectre of political isolation from not only the Opposition but also its own allies. The problem stems from its strength and not its weakness. Its allies are worried the BJP has not participated in the give-and-take that is part of a coalition government. For the Opposition meanwhile, it is matter of survival. And in all of this, Prime Minister Modi stands alone. The general election is still a year away and the ideological contradictions of regional parties that band together may repel the electorate. The electorate may even stay with the BJP because of the lack of an Opposition prime ministerial candidate matching Modi’s stature but that does not belie the fact that the BJP stands alone today.

Will Modi be able to beat what seems like impending political isolation?

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday claimed that the act of Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi forgiving the killers of his father, Rajiv Gandhi, raised suspicion of &quot;supari killing&quot; or a plotted murder for financial gains.

Speaking to the media, Swamy urged that a probe be conducted into the death of the former Prime Minister.

&quot;The reason given by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the assassination was that the Indian Army was sent to Sri Lanka to fight them. However, he (Rajiv Gandhi) was only acting upon a motion passed in Parliament stating that Sri Lanka had asked for assistance to fight the LTTE, as they could not do so alone,&quot; he said.

The Congress President in an earlier interaction with Indian Institute of Management (IIM) alumni in Singapore had reportedly stated that he and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi, have &quot;completely forgiven&quot; his father&#39;s killers, as they found it difficult to hate people, although the assassination had deeply angered and hurt them for several years.

In this regard, Swamy, while launching a scathing attack at Rahul Gandhi, alleged that the leniency given to the killers of Rajiv Gandhi gave rise to suspicions about the latter&#39;s assassination, and added that the Congress President&#39;s statement on forgiving the accused lacked patriotism.

&quot;He (Rajiv) was a true nationalist, and those responsible for killing him in the prime of his life should be shown no leniency. Initially, Nalini, one of the killers, was awarded a death sentence, but this was reduced to life imprisonment. I fail to understand why we should be lenient towards someone who collaborated with foreigners to kill our former Prime Minister. Rahul&#39;s statement lacks patriotism; he should understand that the punishment was awarded to the killers of the former Prime Minister, not his father,&quot; he said.

The senior BJP leader further alleged that there was some &quot;understanding&quot; with the LTTE, and therefore, urged a probe into the matter.

&quot;Why did Priyanka (Gandhi) visit the convicts in jail; only the relatives of convicts are allowed to visit them, which she is not. Furthermore, Sonia (Gandhi) took care of Nalini&#39;s daughter&#39;s education in England. Nalini was also awarded a scholarship to study computer science at the Indira Gandhi University. I don&#39;t understand why they are showing such sympathy. I suspect there is something wrong,&quot; he added.

For the unversed, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suspected LTTE suicide bomber, during an election rally in Tamil Nadu&#39;s Sriperumbudur in May 1991.

Speaking to the media, Swamy urged that a probe be conducted into the death of the former Prime Minister

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday claimed that the act of Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi forgiving the killers of his father, Rajiv Gandhi, raised suspicion of "supari killing" or a plotted murder for financial gains. Speaking to the media, Swamy urged that a probe be conducted into the death of the former Prime Minister. "The reason given by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the assassination was that the Indian Army was sent to Sri Lanka to fight them. However, he (Rajiv Gandhi) was only acting upon a motion passed in Parliament stating that Sri Lanka had asked for assistance to fight the LTTE, as they could not do so alone," he said. The Congress President in an earlier interaction with Indian Institute of Management (IIM) alumni in Singapore had reportedly stated that he and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi, have "completely forgiven" his father's killers, as they found it difficult to hate people, although the assassination had deeply angered and hurt them for several years. In this regard, Swamy, while launching a scathing attack at Rahul Gandhi, alleged that the leniency given to the killers of Rajiv Gandhi gave rise to suspicions about the latter's assassination, and added that the Congress President's statement on forgiving the accused lacked patriotism. "He (Rajiv) was a true nationalist, and those responsible for killing him in the prime of his life should be shown no leniency. Initially, Nalini, one of the killers, was awarded a death sentence, but this was reduced to life imprisonment. I fail to understand why we should be lenient towards someone who collaborated with foreigners to kill our former Prime Minister. Rahul's statement lacks patriotism; he should understand that the punishment was awarded to the killers of the former Prime Minister, not his father," he said. The senior BJP leader further alleged that there was some "understanding" with the LTTE, and therefore, urged a probe into the matter. "Why did Priyanka (Gandhi) visit the convicts in jail; only the relatives of convicts are allowed to visit them, which she is not. Furthermore, Sonia (Gandhi) took care of Nalini's daughter's education in England. Nalini was also awarded a scholarship to study computer science at the Indira Gandhi University. I don't understand why they are showing such sympathy. I suspect there is something wrong," he added. For the unversed, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suspected LTTE suicide bomber, during an election rally in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur in May 1991.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination: Subramanian Swamy suspects 'supari killing', demands probe

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has started following some senior Congress leaders on Twitter of late, triggering speculation over his sudden interest in the party that he was once close to and had drifted away from. 
 
After following Congress president Rahul Gandhi and the party&#39;s official Twitter handle, he began following senior leaders P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot and CP Joshi from this month. 
 
He recently also started following party leaders Manish Tewari, Shakeel Ahmed, Sanjay Nirupam, Randeep Surjewala Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Jha on the micro-blogging site. 
 
Bachchan, who was once close to the Nehru-Gandhi family and a friend of Rajiv Gandhi, is currently the brand ambassador of Gujarat. He has over 33.1 million followers on Twitter and follows only 1,689 people. 
 
His sudden love for the Congress and some other opposition leaders has taken the party by surprise. 
 
Some other opposition leaders whom the actor has started following recently, include RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his daughter Misa Bharti, JD(U)&#39;s Nitish Kumar, CPI-M&#39;s Sitaram Yechury. He also followed the RJD&#39;s official Twitter handle, NC&#39;s Omar Abdullah and NCP&#39;s Supriya Sule. 
 
The AAP leaders he started following recently are Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh, Kumar Vishwas and Ashish Khetan. 
 
Manish Tewari, who was one of the Congress leaders recently followed by the actor, thanked him but did not say anything more on its timing and political significance. 
 
&quot;Thank you Sh Amitabh Bachan for following me and it is my privilege to follow the icon of Indian cinema who we grew up watching first-day first-show every new release. Those days in late 70&rsquo;s &amp; early 80&rsquo;s a balcony ticket in Chandigarh was Rs 3. Unbelievable today! @SrBachchan,&quot; he tweeted. 
 
The superstar also follows a number of BJP leaders. Of late, he started following ministers Nitin Gadkari and Suresh Prabhu.&nbsp;

His sudden love for the Congress and some other opposition leaders has taken many by surprise

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has started following some senior Congress leaders on Twitter of late, triggering speculation over his sudden interest in the party that he was once close to and had drifted away from. After following Congress president Rahul Gandhi and the party's official Twitter handle, he began following senior leaders P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot and CP Joshi from this month. He recently also started following party leaders Manish Tewari, Shakeel Ahmed, Sanjay Nirupam, Randeep Surjewala Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Jha on the micro-blogging site. Bachchan, who was once close to the Nehru-Gandhi family and a friend of Rajiv Gandhi, is currently the brand ambassador of Gujarat. He has over 33.1 million followers on Twitter and follows only 1,689 people. His sudden love for the Congress and some other opposition leaders has taken the party by surprise. Some other opposition leaders whom the actor has started following recently, include RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his daughter Misa Bharti, JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury. He also followed the RJD's official Twitter handle, NC's Omar Abdullah and NCP's Supriya Sule. The AAP leaders he started following recently are Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh, Kumar Vishwas and Ashish Khetan. Manish Tewari, who was one of the Congress leaders recently followed by the actor, thanked him but did not say anything more on its timing and political significance. "Thank you Sh Amitabh Bachan for following me and it is my privilege to follow the icon of Indian cinema who we grew up watching first-day first-show every new release. Those days in late 70’s & early 80’s a balcony ticket in Chandigarh was Rs 3. Unbelievable today! @SrBachchan," he tweeted. The superstar also follows a number of BJP leaders. Of late, he started following ministers Nitin Gadkari and Suresh Prabhu.

Amitabh Bachchan starts following Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders; triggers speculation

The Supreme Court has asked the Modi government to take a stand on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and communicate its decision within three months.&nbsp;

The Tamil Nadu government had previously remitted jail sentences of the seven convicts.&nbsp;

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Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case: Supreme Court asks Central Government to take a stand and make it clear within three months whether it agreed with the move of the Tamil Nadu government to remit jail sentences of seven convicts in the case, or else convey what it wants
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955695097005289472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The central government has been asked to communicate if it stands by the Tamil Nadu government&#39;s decision or has anything else to communicate on the matter.&nbsp;

The Tamil Nadu government had written a letter to the Modi government seeking relief for the seven convicts in May 2016.

&nbsp;

The Tamil Nadu government had previously remitted jail sentences of the seven convicts

The Supreme Court has asked the Modi government to take a stand on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and communicate its decision within three months. The Tamil Nadu government had previously remitted jail sentences of the seven convicts. Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case: Supreme Court asks Central Government to take a stand and make it clear within three months whether it agreed with the move of the Tamil Nadu government to remit jail sentences of seven convicts in the case, or else convey what it wants — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2018 × The central government has been asked to communicate if it stands by the Tamil Nadu government's decision or has anything else to communicate on the matter. The Tamil Nadu government had written a letter to the Modi government seeking relief for the seven convicts in May 2016.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Supreme Court asks Modi government to communicate final word on 7 convicts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s visit to Jordan is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in three decades, said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale.

Gokhale further said this is first ever to visit after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi`s visit to the country in 1988.

On February 9, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Jordan, which was his transit to Palestine.

The Prime Minister`s office expressed gratitude to King Abdullah II of Jordan for facilitating the transit.

On his arrival in Amman, Modi was received by Jordan Prime Minister Hani Al-Mulki.&quot;Jordan`s King Abdullah II described it [the visit] as the beginning of the new chapter in our [India and Jordan] ties,&quot; Gokhale said, in a media briefing.

The Prime Minister has invited the King of Jordon to make a state visit to India in late February for three days.

&quot;Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking forward to the visit. During the visit we [India and Jordan] will discuss several issues and also how to take the bilateral relationship forward,&quot; the foreign secretary added.

India and Jordan enjoy friendly ties since diplomatic relations were established in 1950. &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Vijay Gokhale said this is first ever to visit after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi`s visit to the country in 1988

Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s visit to Jordan is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in three decades, said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. Gokhale further said this is first ever to visit after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi`s visit to the country in 1988. On February 9, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Jordan, which was his transit to Palestine. The Prime Minister`s office expressed gratitude to King Abdullah II of Jordan for facilitating the transit. On his arrival in Amman, Modi was received by Jordan Prime Minister Hani Al-Mulki."Jordan`s King Abdullah II described it [the visit] as the beginning of the new chapter in our [India and Jordan] ties," Gokhale said, in a media briefing. The Prime Minister has invited the King of Jordon to make a state visit to India in late February for three days. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking forward to the visit. During the visit we [India and Jordan] will discuss several issues and also how to take the bilateral relationship forward," the foreign secretary added. India and Jordan enjoy friendly ties since diplomatic relations were established in 1950.

Modi's Jordan visit, first in three decades by Indian PM: Vijay Gokhale

Rahul Gandhi is likely to assume the reins of the Congress on December 16, marking a generational shift in the grand old party when his mother and its longest-serving president would formally hand over the baton to him.

While pageantry would herald the dawn of a new era in the party which has ruled the country for over half-a-century since independence, the 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family will face the daunting task of restoring lost glory to the party whose fortunes have been dwindling in the recent past.

Today, the party, which once controlled almost the entire country, has its governments in just five states and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

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<h5>A sure-footed Rahul Gandhi powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be a&nbsp;dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him</h5>
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The announcement of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s elevation, however, is likely to be made tomorrow, the last date of withdrawal of nomination for the election of the Congress president which is a one horse race.

Altogether 89 nominations received in his favour were found to be valid during scrutiny.

The Congress&#39;s Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, and CEA members Madhusudan Mistry and Bhubaneswar Kalita will announce that Gandhi&#39;s was the only nomination for the top job tomorrow.

Rahul Gandhi would, however, be handed over the certificate appointing him the party president on December 16 in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders, Ramachandran said.

Sonia Gandhi will officially hand over the mantle of the 132-year-old party to her son around 11am after which Rahul Gandhi will meet leaders from across the country at the Congress&#39;s headquarters, party sources said.

The Congress has been losing state after state since the 2014 Lok Sabha election with the exception of Punjab.

Rahul Gandhi&#39;s elevation would come just two days ahead of the counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll.

A sure-footed Rahul Gandhi powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be a&nbsp;dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him.

&quot;Delivering in Gujarat will be important as it is the immediate test facing Rahul Gandhi, who has mounted a strong anti-BJP campaign in the state and led personally from the front. We are looking at victory in Gujarat,&quot; said a Congress leader and former chief minister.

Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said reorganising the party would be another major task for him.

&quot;Every post comes with a challenge. He has to rebuild the party at the grassroots and strengthen the ideological base. His undisputed election as party president is a sign of his strength. He will have to take everyone along from the AICC level right up to the states,&quot; she told PTI.

Striking a balance between the old guard and the young leaders would be a key to running the organisation which has many seasoned politicians whose wisdom he could use as he steers the party.

Gandhi had said in the past that he would draw upon a blend of experience of the old and the energy of the young.

&quot;Initial signs are encouraging since he put veterans like Ashok Gehlot and Sushil Kumar Shinde in charge of elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh respectively and was willing to bank on them,&quot; said a leader. He also got appointed young leaders as secretaries.

Clarity on the party&#39;s ideological stand on the issue of Hindutva would also be important as he is being seen as projecting the Congress&#39;s soft Hindutva with his visit to temples in Gujarat. He has also proclaimed himself a &quot;Shiv bhakt&quot;.

These visits are also being seen as an attempt to blunt the BJP&#39;s accusation against the party of Muslim appeasement.

&quot;This is to course-correct after it was felt that an overtly pro-minority image of the Congress undermined its electoral prospects on the eve of 2014 Lok Sabha elections,&quot; a party veteran noted, adding cobbling together electoral alliances will also be key to the future growth of the party.

Another former union minister said every state had its own set of challenges and Gandhi would be expected to take informed decisions in each by taking everyone along.

Gandhi has already been taking all major decisions in the party even though his formal elevation was delayed due to a long-drawn internal election process.

The deadline set by the Election Commission for conclusion of the organisational elections in the Congress expires on December 31.

Organisational elections in the Congress were due in 2015. The party constitution provides for elections to be held every five years. The last such polls were held in 2010.

Rahul Gandhi, who was initially hesitant about taking over the reins from Sonia Gandhi, who held the party&#39;s top post for 19 years, will be the sixth member and fifth generation leader of the Nehru-Gandhi clan to occupy the post. These include Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi.

Some eminent leaders who held the post in the pre- independence era included Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam Azad, Vallabhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad.

Eminent people like Madan Mohan Malviya, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Annie Besant and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, the first party president, also led the party in the pre-independence era.

The announcement though is expected to be made tomorrow

Rahul Gandhi is likely to assume the reins of the Congress on December 16, marking a generational shift in the grand old party when his mother and its longest-serving president would formally hand over the baton to him. While pageantry would herald the dawn of a new era in the party which has ruled the country for over half-a-century since independence, the 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family will face the daunting task of restoring lost glory to the party whose fortunes have been dwindling in the recent past. Today, the party, which once controlled almost the entire country, has its governments in just five states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. A sure-footed Rahul Gandhi powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be a dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him × The announcement of Rahul Gandhi's elevation, however, is likely to be made tomorrow, the last date of withdrawal of nomination for the election of the Congress president which is a one horse race. Altogether 89 nominations received in his favour were found to be valid during scrutiny. The Congress's Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, and CEA members Madhusudan Mistry and Bhubaneswar Kalita will announce that Gandhi's was the only nomination for the top job tomorrow. Rahul Gandhi would, however, be handed over the certificate appointing him the party president on December 16 in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders, Ramachandran said. Sonia Gandhi will officially hand over the mantle of the 132-year-old party to her son around 11am after which Rahul Gandhi will meet leaders from across the country at the Congress's headquarters, party sources said. The Congress has been losing state after state since the 2014 Lok Sabha election with the exception of Punjab. Rahul Gandhi's elevation would come just two days ahead of the counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll. A sure-footed Rahul Gandhi powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be a dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him. "Delivering in Gujarat will be important as it is the immediate test facing Rahul Gandhi, who has mounted a strong anti-BJP campaign in the state and led personally from the front. We are looking at victory in Gujarat," said a Congress leader and former chief minister. Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said reorganising the party would be another major task for him. "Every post comes with a challenge. He has to rebuild the party at the grassroots and strengthen the ideological base. His undisputed election as party president is a sign of his strength. He will have to take everyone along from the AICC level right up to the states," she told PTI. Striking a balance between the old guard and the young leaders would be a key to running the organisation which has many seasoned politicians whose wisdom he could use as he steers the party. Gandhi had said in the past that he would draw upon a blend of experience of the old and the energy of the young. "Initial signs are encouraging since he put veterans like Ashok Gehlot and Sushil Kumar Shinde in charge of elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh respectively and was willing to bank on them," said a leader. He also got appointed young leaders as secretaries. Clarity on the party's ideological stand on the issue of Hindutva would also be important as he is being seen as projecting the Congress's soft Hindutva with his visit to temples in Gujarat. He has also proclaimed himself a "Shiv bhakt". These visits are also being seen as an attempt to blunt the BJP's accusation against the party of Muslim appeasement. "This is to course-correct after it was felt that an overtly pro-minority image of the Congress undermined its electoral prospects on the eve of 2014 Lok Sabha elections," a party veteran noted, adding cobbling together electoral alliances will also be key to the future growth of the party. Another former union minister said every state had its own set of challenges and Gandhi would be expected to take informed decisions in each by taking everyone along. Gandhi has already been taking all major decisions in the party even though his formal elevation was delayed due to a long-drawn internal election process. The deadline set by the Election Commission for conclusion of the organisational elections in the Congress expires on December 31. Organisational elections in the Congress were due in 2015. The party constitution provides for elections to be held every five years. The last such polls were held in 2010. Rahul Gandhi, who was initially hesitant about taking over the reins from Sonia Gandhi, who held the party's top post for 19 years, will be the sixth member and fifth generation leader of the Nehru-Gandhi clan to occupy the post. These include Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi. Some eminent leaders who held the post in the pre- independence era included Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam Azad, Vallabhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad. Eminent people like Madan Mohan Malviya, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Annie Besant and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, the first party president, also led the party in the pre-independence era.

Rahul Gandhi likely to take over as Congress president on December 16

Five years before Rajiv Gandhi was killed in 1991, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had prepared a very detailed and thorough &ldquo;brief&rdquo; on what would happen if he is assassinated or makes an &ldquo;abrupt departure&rdquo; from the Indian political scene.

A 23-page report, titled India After Rajiv ... was put out as early as March, 1986 for comments from other senior CIA officials. The &ldquo;sanitised&rdquo; report was declassified recently by the CIA.

The report, whose complete title is not entirely available as it is part deleted, was prepared on the basis of inputs available to the CIA till January, 1986.

The very first sentence of the report&rsquo;s available (undeleted) page reads: &ldquo;Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi faces at least an even chance of assassination before his tenure in office ends in 1989.&rdquo; It, however, later clearly said that &ldquo;assassination is the major near-term threat&rdquo; to him.

Over five years later, Gandhi was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.

The first section titled &ldquo;Key Judgments&rdquo; analyses and deliberates upon what likely scenario would emerge in the domestic and international political situation if there is a sudden change in leadership minus Rajiv Gandhi and the likely impact on India&rsquo;s relations with the US, the then USSR and the region.

It also dealt with the threats posed to Gandhi&rsquo;s life by various extremist groups at that time and the likely fallout of his murder.

&ldquo;If Gandhi fell to a Sikh or Kashmiri Muslim assassin, widespread communal violence probably would erupt even if strong preventive security measures - including deployment of Army and paramilitary troops across northern India - were taken by the Indian President ......(deleted),&rdquo; it said.

It also names PV Narasimha Rao and VP Singh, who could be the &ldquo;interim successor&rdquo; and &ldquo;likely candidates&rdquo; in case of sudden exit by Rajiv. Rao took over as the Prime Minister in 1991.

In a section, titled &lsquo;The Threat of Assassination: Stability in Jeopardy&rsquo;, the report says &ldquo;In our view, there is at least an even chance in the next several years of an assassination, most likely by extremist Sikhs or disgruntled Kashmiri Muslims who have targeted Rajiv,&rdquo; besides &ldquo;a fanatical Hindu&rdquo;.

Since a significant portion of this section is deleted, it is not clear whether Sri Lankan Tamil extremists were also dealt with in the analysis. However, another section deals in- depth with Rajiv&rsquo;s mediation efforts to resolve &ldquo;the conflict between militant Sri Lankan Tamils and the Sinhalese-dominated government in Colombo...&rdquo;

(PTI)

A 23-page report, titled India After Rajiv ... was put out as early as March, 1986 for comments from other senior CIA officials

Five years before Rajiv Gandhi was killed in 1991, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had prepared a very detailed and thorough “brief” on what would happen if he is assassinated or makes an “abrupt departure” from the Indian political scene. A 23-page report, titled India After Rajiv ... was put out as early as March, 1986 for comments from other senior CIA officials. The “sanitised” report was declassified recently by the CIA. The report, whose complete title is not entirely available as it is part deleted, was prepared on the basis of inputs available to the CIA till January, 1986. The very first sentence of the report’s available (undeleted) page reads: “Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi faces at least an even chance of assassination before his tenure in office ends in 1989.” It, however, later clearly said that “assassination is the major near-term threat” to him. Over five years later, Gandhi was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. The first section titled “Key Judgments” analyses and deliberates upon what likely scenario would emerge in the domestic and international political situation if there is a sudden change in leadership minus Rajiv Gandhi and the likely impact on India’s relations with the US, the then USSR and the region. It also dealt with the threats posed to Gandhi’s life by various extremist groups at that time and the likely fallout of his murder. “If Gandhi fell to a Sikh or Kashmiri Muslim assassin, widespread communal violence probably would erupt even if strong preventive security measures - including deployment of Army and paramilitary troops across northern India - were taken by the Indian President ......(deleted),” it said. It also names PV Narasimha Rao and VP Singh, who could be the “interim successor” and “likely candidates” in case of sudden exit by Rajiv. Rao took over as the Prime Minister in 1991. In a section, titled ‘The Threat of Assassination: Stability in Jeopardy’, the report says “In our view, there is at least an even chance in the next several years of an assassination, most likely by extremist Sikhs or disgruntled Kashmiri Muslims who have targeted Rajiv,” besides “a fanatical Hindu”. Since a significant portion of this section is deleted, it is not clear whether Sri Lankan Tamil extremists were also dealt with in the analysis. However, another section deals in- depth with Rajiv’s mediation efforts to resolve “the conflict between militant Sri Lankan Tamils and the Sinhalese-dominated government in Colombo...” (PTI)

CIA assessed Rajiv Gandhi's assassination 5 years before he was killed: Report

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