New Delhi: Till yesterday he was just another political scion. But, Rahul Gandhi has today emerged a leader in his own right, helping add precious numbers to the Congress tally in Uttar Pradesh and across the country.
Many were quick to write off Rahul, a spitting image of his father late Rajiv Gandhi, as a political force after the Congress received a drubbing in the 2007 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
But Gandhi, 39, went ahead with his mission of reaching out to the state's youth.
During the thick of Lok Sabha elections this year, his sister Priyanka Vadra had said that her brother was someone who was "ready to sacrifice the today for the future".
His gritty resolve has put the Congress ahead in 20 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, a gain of 11 seats - no mean achievement in a state dominated by regional and caste based political parties.
A report in portal pressbrief.in, set up by Rahul's camp, acknowledged that the huge success of the party can be attributed to its pro-development ideology, but Rahul's contribution remains undisputed.
Rahul addressed 122 rallies across the country in 35 days, repeatedly reminding the need for young people to participate in the political system.
"This is a turnaround and credit for this goes to Rahul... his tour has been extensive and this is a result of his hard work," said senior party leader Motilal Vohra.
Rahul has been credited with injecting fresh enthusiasm in the party, galvanising the strengths of seniors like Vohra and rising leaders like Sachin Pilot.
The 31-year-old Pilot shared similar views, saying Rahul's leadership infused the much needed boost in the election campaign and goaded first time voters to exercise their franchise.
Rahul, the Congress' candidate from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, focused his campaign on UP with as he wanted to restore the lost glory to the party which considered the state as its favourite hunting ground.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who shared the dais with Rahul at two poll rallies in the state, feels that his campaigning did wonders. "It played a magic not only for Congress but also for all UPA allies," he said.
Having covered nearly 87,000 km on the campaign trail, Rahul, however, says that he was just fulfilling the unfinished dream of his father.
"There is a work that my father had started, a dream he had dreamt. I come to you today saying allow me to turn that dream into reality," he had said while kicking off his election campaign at Amethi.
With the Congress' commendable performance seen as a victory for Rahul, party leaders see a bigger role for him in the days to come.
"The youth of the country would definitely like to see a fresh face in the Congress and Rahul fits the bill," says Pilot.
Those associated with Rahul say that he is the "Unique Selling Proposition", or the USP, of the party in a country where 65 per cent of population is below the age of 38.
"The Congress is now on the threshold of 3-G technology; we have stood for third generation leaders who are progressive and dynamic and who can provide good governance," a senior party leader said.
Rahul was inducted as General Secretary of the AICC in September 2007 and made in-charge of the frontal organizations of NSUI and the IYC, and set about the process of democratising their functioning.