NEW DELHI, Sept 24: Dubbed the heir apparent of India’s ruling Congress Party, Mr Rahul Gandhi on Monday moved closer to the political centre stage, becoming party general secretary, a post that inducts him as a member of the powerful Congress Working Committee.

The 37-year-old MP from Amethi had announced in the party’s plenary at Hyderabad last year that he was ready to play an active role in the organisation if the party leadership decides. The Congress had 25 seats in the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh last summer and won three seats less than the previous tally despite whirlwind tours by Rahul Gandhi and his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi.

Poll analysts said the party vote share fell from 8.9 per cent in 2002 to 8.6 per cent in May this year. It managed to retain only seven of its 25 sitting deputies, while only 66 per cent of the party’s regular supporters voted for it in this election.

The Congress Working Committee now consists of the following: Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A KAntony, Ahmed Patel, Ambika Soni, Arjun Singh, Ashok Gehlot, Digvijay Singh, Janardhan Dwivedi, Margret Alwa, Prithviraj Chouhan and Rahul Gandhi.