Former union minister and Rajasthan PCC president Sachin Pilot feels it is high time that Rahul Gandhi made AICC chief in order to make the party fit for 2019 elections. Sachin Pilot, who was in Hyderabad today in connection with the Warangal byelection, was categorical in his views that Rahul leadership was necessary to take keep the party flag high. Sachin, a member of Rahul’s ‘young brigade’, said Rahul’s leadership was necessary for the transition of the party from the present state to the election mode in 2019. The young Congress leader left for Station Ghanpur to participate in Congress election campaign for Sarve Satyanarayana, Congress candidate in Warangal byelection.

He attributed the credit of the success of the Bihar experiment to the AICC vice president, who is said to be the author of the Bihar’s grand alliance. It may recalled that the Congress won 28 seats of the 41 it contested. For the party it was a massive mandate given the fact that the party had just four seats in previous Assembly.

In his view the Bihar Assembly elections has rejuvenated the Congress and boosted the morale of the rank and file. ” The party is now showing signs of recovery after the drubbing it received in Lok Sabha polls last year,” he said.

“But more than that, it’s a fact that secular parties came together on a platform- grand alliance. Rahul Gandhi was the one who first broached the idea and had a meeting with Nitish Kumar. Nitish had been projected as CM candidate and then of course, Lalu Yadav joined the alliance,” he said in an interview to PTI.

Asked if the poll outcome would hasten the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as party President, Pilot said it all depends on the Congress Working Committee, party President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul himself.

“But we will like it to happen as soon as possible because now the party is steadily (growing in strength again) and we have elections in Assam, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal etc.”, Sachin said hoping that party would emerge much stronger under Rahul’ s leadership.