New Delhi:
Elections 2009 seems to have brought out a more confident Rahul who was friendly, relaxed and extremely confident as he fielded questions from the national media in New Delhi on Tuesday.
He spoke on a lot of issues, ranging from his famous last name, to Quattrocchi and his relationship with the Gandhi family.
"I could bring in democracy in the party because I am the outcome of the system and I am proud of the youth Congress," he said.
Speaking on the issue of Quattrocchi, Qahul said, "Q is a dead issue."
Tuesday's press conference was clearly a part of a well-planned election strategy to position Rahul Gandhi as a key decision maker. It was a sign, which analysts term as the shift in the balance of power from mother to son.
Rahul is the one increasingly taking the key decisions, whether it was to stand up to key ally Lalu in Bihar, or not give in to UP strongman Mulayam Singh Yadav, or to push forward young unknown candidates in Punjab, Gujarat and Karnataka.
The Opposition, however, criticised the sweeping statements by Rahul Gandhi by saying that his reference to terrorism and brand of Gandhigiri hasn't worked in states like UP and Gujarat.
"Rahul is politically immature. You have HuJI in Bangladesh, Maoists in Nepal, Taliban on your Western border and they are all influencing the situation in India with local modules. What does empowering the villagers mean? This is just fanciful thinking," BJP leader Arun Jaitley said.
For the BJP and the Left, the emergence of Rahul Gandhi in election 2009 is something to worry about. While their attacks have focussed on his political immaturity -- be it in Gujarat or West Bengal -- the fact that he appeals to a young electorate means that none of them are ruling him out as a very serious political adversary.