Sweets, keychains, badges: How Congress is celebrating 'Rahul Gandhi, the President'

Rahul Gandhi is set to formally take over as Congress president on December 16.

New Delhi: A day ahead of Rahul Gandhi's formal elevation as Congress president tomorrow, the mood is upbeat among the party workers and supporters, and wide-spread celebrations have begun outside the party headquarters here.

According to ANI, the party workers were seen distributing sweets and various stalls distributing badges and key-chains having Rahul Gandhi's photo have been set up outside the Congress party headquarters.

Sweets being distributed at Congress HQ in Delhi, stall selling badges, key chains etc with Rahul Gandhi's photos also set up outside, in view of him taking over as Party President tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VDrYtwR3sD — ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017

A large number of party workers and supporters have gathered outside the party headquarters in view of Rahul Gandhi's formal elevation as Congress president on Saturday.

Similar celebrations were also reported at the Indian Youth Congress office here. 

Celebration at Indian Youth Congress office in Delhi, in view of Rahul Gandhi taking over as Congress Party President tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/kN3lqoPj7G — ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017

Rahul Gandhi, who was elected the Congress president last week, had said that it was an honour for him to work for the ideals of the party and through it for the country.

"A heartfelt thank you to everyone for the tremendous support and good wishes you have showered on me. It is an honour for me to work for the ideals of the Congress party and through it for our great country," the official account of the office of Rahul Gandhi had tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many top political leaders had congratulated Rahul Gandhi on his elevation as Congress president and wished him a fruitful tenure.

I congratulate Rahul Ji on his election as Congress President. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure. @OfficeOfRG — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2017

Thank you for your good wishes Modi ji. @narendramodi

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 11, 2017

Rahul is set to take over the reins of the country's oldest party from his mother Sonia Gandhi, who also holds the record of being the longest-serving president of the party – for nearly 19 years in the 132-year-old history of Congress.

Mullappally Ramachandran, the chief of the Congress's central election authority, had announced the Gandhi scion's election on the day when the 47-year- old leader was busy canvassing for the party in Gujarat. Rahul was elected unopposed as the Congress chief, party's central election authority head Ramachandran said.

Altogether 89 sets of nominations were filed for the election to the top post and all were on behalf of Rahul.

His elevation comes close to five years after he was appointed party vice president in January 2013.

Before Rahul, other members of the family who occupied the post of Congress president were Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia.

The family was at the helm of the Congress's affairs after independence for at least 38 years - Jawaharlal Nehru for more than three years, his daughter Indira and her son Rajiv for eight years each, and Sonia for 19 years.