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Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday formally announced that he would now play a more active role in the party and the government. "I will play a more active role in party and the government. The final decision is up to the Congress leadership," he said. Rahul Gandhi's decision will be widely welcomed by the ruling Congress Party, which has been looking for a leader who could step in the shoes of Pranab Mukherjee and carry on the responsibilities of the party as well as the government on his shoulders. Pranab Mukherjee, who resigned from the Union Cabinet last month, was the seniormost member of the Congress Working Committee. It may be recalled here that Corporate Affairs Minister Dr. M. Veerappa Moily and Union Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid had earlier this month lauded Rahul Gandhi's efforts in reorganizing the Congress Party. Describing Rahul Gandhi as a 'magnet' for the nation's youth, Moily had said the Congress General Secretary had worked hard in attracting the youth of the country into the Congress fold. "I must tell you that the kind of action that he has taken in organizing the party, reining the cadre, and particularly attracting the youth of the country into the Congress fold is unprecedented, no other leader has done it," said Moily. "He has become a magnet particularly for the youth of this nation and we are very proud of him and I don't think anyone can talk lightly about it," he added. Salman Khurshid had earlier in an interview to a national daily stated that Rahul Gandhi should provide a 'new ideology' to meet the present day challenges faced by the Congress. "We need a new ideology to be given by our next generation leader Rahul Gandhi to move forward and to meet contemporary challenges. The fact is that he is undoubtedly and unquestionably the number two leader in the party. Yet he has not taken up the mantle or accepted a functional responsibility. He is so far not willing to accept the number two position," said Khurshid. "In UPA II, governance and politics have all got intermingled. The political props have got mixed up. It's a scattered situation. The stage has to be set up again and only the Congress president can do it. She is the one who has the stature. The Prime Minister can then run the government, but he cannot set the stage," he added. Rahul Gandhi, the Member of Parliament of India representing the Amethi constituency, is the fourth-generation scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Rahul Gandhi says he will play a more active role in Congress, UPA