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ShareNew Delhi: Rahul Gandhi's role for the 2009 elections has already been scripted. Although he will be one of the party's star campaigners along with his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he will not allow himself to be projected as a putative prime minister.
At 38, Rahul Gandhi believes he has loads of time in hand and the road to power lies through helping rebuild the organisation. His mantra for the party is infusion of fresh blood, talent and greater democratisation through regular fair and transparent polls at all levels.
Rahul principal advisor remains his sister Priyanka. The two are extremely close and he spends a lot of free time with her. "If he is in distress and is allowed only one phone call you can bet your last rupee that the call will be to her," says a close family friend.
Meanwhile, he has also put together a core team that is helping him implement his ideas.
Prominent amongst them are Kanishka Singh (former investment banker), Sachin Rao (an MBA from Michigan University) and Jitendar Singh (the former MLA from Alwar and scion of the royal family of Alwar).
The laptop-wielding Kanishka is in many ways Rahul's chief of staff. His brief includes looking after his day-to-day programmes, coordinating his tours and briefing Rahul on issues and events. He also doubles up as his boss's ready reckoner on constituencies, caste combinations and candidate profiles.
Sachin Rao worked for some time with an NGO before joining Rahul's team. Jitendar Singh is a family friend and also one of the two AICC secretaries attached to Rahul.
Apart from the team that assists him on a day-to-day basis, Rahul also banks on the brains of people such Sam Pitroda, former election commissioner JM Lyngdoh, Fareed Zakaria, the editor of the Newsweek International, Shashi Tharoor former assistant secretary general of UN and psephologist Yogendra Yadav.
Like Barack Obama, Rahul Gandhi is an avid blackberry user and stays connected with the world especially the Youth Congress and NSUI functionaries. All the state unit chiefs and top functionaries of the Youth Congress have been given laptops and have direct access to him through SMS and emails.
Though Rahul does not wear a wrist watch, he is punctual. His day begins early with a light workout and he is in his office at 9 am sharp till about 7 pm, with a short lunch break at 2pm. Rahul loves his food and has a weakness for kebabs and biryani which is almost always washed down by soft drinks.
