The time and place of Rahul Gandhi's coming out party could not be more representative. At Phulpur, a constituency that was once won by his great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress party's probable successor spoke to an estimated gathering of about 50,000 people.

Rahul Gandhi's mother, Sonia, has hardly been seen in public since undergoing surgery earlier this year. The Congress party head is seen to be the real power behind Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and many believe the mantle will now fall on Rahul.

Kicking off the party's campaign for the state elections of Uttar Pradesh, which are due in May next year, Gandhi exhorted voters to throw out the current regime led by Chief Minister Mayawati of the Bhaujan Samaj Party (BSP) and announced himself as an agent of development.　

He declared that the current chief minister was ruling the state like a mafia boss and devouring funds sent by the central government for development and welfare schemes.

Over the past two years, the Congress politician has consistently targeted Mayawati's government over its land acquisition policies and particularly the law and order situation in the state. Sometimes escaping the tight security that protects him, he has toured the state's villages, slept in the homes of Dalits or untouchables, shared their food, and tried to convince them that Congress is their only savior.

Attracting the young

Analysts believe that the 41-year-old could be a potential vote catcher considering that over 60 percent of India's population is estimated to be under the age of 35. Much of his energy has been focused on enticing the youth in India's most populous state.　

Political analyst Sudha Pai said that Gandhi was still "testing the waters" but was quick to point out that he, and more specifically the Congress party, had to come up with a clear agenda and specific program for the state if they were to win the crucial elections next May.　

"The party that wins Uttar Pradesh tends to rule the country and I can understand why Gandhi decided to begin the campaign early but he has a long way to go," agreed sociologist Remya Jalila.

Cautiously optimistic

Although some party insiders fear that the party's organizational muscle is not yet strong enough to tap into resentment against the current Mayawati government but Madhur Kamar, a Congress party worker, is optimistic: "Rahul Gandhi is not just banking on the Nehru legacy to revive the fortunes of the party in Uttar Pradesh. He has worked day in and out and taken it upon himself to see his party does well. Let us wait till May 2012."

The Congress party has been progressively marginalized in the past three elections in Uttar Pradesh, winning only 22 of 402 seats in 2007, as lower caste parties have increased their support base. However, in the last general elections in 2009, it won 22 out of 80 parliamentary seats (against nine in the 2004 elections).

The Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty has ruled India for most of the post-independence era, providing three prime ministers.

Author: Murali Krishnan
Editor: Anne Thomas