Rahul takes over as new Congress President

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday formally took over as the new Congress President taking the mantle of the country's oldest political party from his mother Sonia Gandhi.

The process of his election as the new Congress chief was completed after the Central Election Authority President Mullapally Ramachandran handed over the Certificate of Elevation to Rahul Gandhi in a ceremony at the 24, Akbar Road housing the party headquarters.

The ceremony was marked by loud celebrations as scorces of Rahul Gandhi supporters danced to upbeat tunes, raised slogans, burst crackers and distributed sweets outside the party office here.

While handing over the certificate, CEA chairman Mullappally Ramachandran termed the moment as "historic".

47-year-old Rahul Gandhi was handed over the certificate in the presence of his mother and predecessor Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and other senior party leaders.

Meanwhile, parts of Lutyens' Delhi were dotted with posters hailing Rahul Gandhi's ascension with some of them describing the development as the beginning of a New India.

Rahul Gandhi took over the reigns of the party from Sonia Gandhi, who has helmed the party for 19 long years.

Rahul Gandhi entered electoral politics in 2004. He was appointed as the party general secretary in 2007 and was elevated as its vice president in January 2013

With inputs from IANS