"Rahul Gandhi will be elevated as Cong President"

Kottayam: Rahul Gandhi will become President of the Congress, senior party leader A K Antony Sunday said without specifying any time frame for the change of guard.

"Rahul Gandhi will become the President of the party," Antony told reporters here when asked whether there would be a change of leadership in the party.

To a question whether Rahul would assume charge of the party soon after the ongoing Bihar Assembly elections, he said, "We will let you know the date and time."

Antony, a former Kerala chief minister, hailed the leadership of KPCC president V M Sudheeran handpicked by Rahul Gandhi ignoring voices of displeasure from within the state Congress against his appointment.

In an apparent bid to project Rahul's ability in choosing the right persons to lead the party in states, Antony said factional feud in Congress in Kerala had come down after Sudheeran assumed charge of the state unit.

He said there were no differences in the state Congress on who would lead the party-led UDF in the Assembly polls due next year.

"There is no relevance for such talks at present," the Congress Working Committee member said responding to a query on the leadership issue in the Congress between Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.

He said the Thiruvananthapuram special vigilance court order on the bar bribery case involving state Finance Minister K M Mani would not affect the prospects of the UDF in the crucial civic polls being held this week.

The former Union minister also hailed Chandy's leadership, saying he could lay a strong foundation for the UDF during his four-and a half year rule.

"There is no anti-incumbency factor against the UDF government," Antony said.