New Delhi, Oct 27 (PTI): Rahul Gandhi is set to play a "larger role" in the affairs of Congress party as well as the government very soon.
It is however, still not clear whether Gandhi will join the government but there are clear indications that a number of young faces from Rahul team will be inducted in the Union Council of Ministers in the cabinet reshuffle likely on Sunday.
There has been talk that the AICC general secretary could made either Working President in the party or Vice President amid demands for a "larger role" for him from a large number of party leaders in the past.
As the Cabinet reshuffle nears, there has been renewed specualtion on Gandhi's possibility of joining the Council of Ministers. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has in the past expressed his desire to see Rahul joining the Cabinet.
Party general secretary Digvijay Singh, had, however, said Gandhi may prefer to do party work. Sources close to Rahul have also been maintaining Gandhi is more keen for the party work right now rather than joining the government.
Whether or not Gandhi joins the Cabinet, a number of young Congress leaders groomed by him are likely to be inducted as well some to be elevated in the Union Council of Ministers.
The induction of young faces is expected to kickstart the "larger role" Gandhi could play in the coming days of Congress politics amid demands from sections of the party for his immediate projection as the party's face for 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The new entrants from Rahul team could be Meenakshi Natarajan, an AICC secretary who is in the core team of Rahul Gandhi. She is an MP from Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh. Manicka Tagore, MP from Virudhnagar in Tamilnadu, who was the Delhi in-charge of NSUI, till 2003 is another probable.
Some of the junior ministers from the Rahul team like Jeetendra Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot and Jitin Prasada could be elevated.