Young Rahul takes the call, aged Vora hoists tricolour

The intermittent bouts of rain — on now, off again — since morning seemed to represent the suspense that enveloped the Congress workers at the party headquarters here on Monday. So, who will hoist the tricolour at 24 Akbar Road in the absence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, currently in faraway America?

Finally, at 9.45 am, her MP son Rahul Gandhi gave the signal: it was the seniormost AICC functionary who would perform the ritual. Thus, in came Motilal Vora flashing a toothy smile even as the octogenarian leader from Madhya Pradesh was assisted by members of the Seva Dal, the party’s grassroots front. Then, amid the rain, the national flag was unfurled in the presences of a large number of Union ministers besides Congress workers who had turned up in droves.

“Till his name was let known, we did not know who was going to hoist the flag,” said a senior party functionary. It is another matter that Vora, 83, was the candidate on a similar occasion last year on the Republic Day, when Sonia Gandhi was indisposed. She is now recuperating after a surgery in a hospital in the US, where from Rahul returned to India yesterday.

The flag hoisted, Rahul, who is also the party’s general secretary, distributed sweets to the children at the function. Soon after the 45-minute ceremony ended, Rahul took his first meeting. No core committee, but a consultation with senior Congressmen, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Ever vigilant, party leaders noted exactly who went in and who was made to wait. Home Minister P Chidambaram stood by along with Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, chatting amicably with party supporters -- and later left. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee went inside, stayed a while and left, only to be called back. Defence Minister A K Antony was in the room with Gandhi throughout, as were Janardan Dwivedi and Ambika Soni. Political advisor to the Congress President, Ahmad Patel, was called in but had to wait briefly in an adjoining room.

There were other indicators to suggest which way the wind was blowing. Union minister of State Pradeep Jain held the umbrella for Rahul. Party general secretary Digvijay Singh was not in the room for the entire duration of the meeting, suggesting his influence over Gandhi might be on the wane. Commerce Minister Anand Sharma was in and out of the room.

The party under Rahul, 41, decided not to anymore personally attack Anna Hazare ahead of the social activist’s hunger strike in the capital.

This, a day after party spokesman Manish Tewari, under instruction from media cell chief Janardan Dwivedi, launched a blistering attack on the veteran Gandhian who has been pressing for the introduction of the Lok Jan Pal Bill in Parliament. The young Congress leader is likely to assert himself further in the coming days, especially on August 20, the birth anniversary of his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.