‘Don't force Rahul, let him choose’

As speculation remains rife on Rahul Gandhi being given a bigger role in the Congress at its strategy meet here, senior leaders in the party said the general secretary was already playing a key role and should not be forced into anything.

‘As far as Rahul is concerned, don't force him. Let him chalk out his own life, his own road map... He is already leading the group to make the 2014 election plan. He is leading the youth wing, the NSUI,’ Digvijaya Singh said about the 42-year-old son of Congress president Sonia Gandhi who will lead the party's campaign strategy in the 2014 general election.

‘Rahul Gandhi is the general secretary of the party, he is in the coordination committee, he has enough work to do,’ added party leader B.K. Hariprasad.

Rahul Gandhi, the heir of the Nehru-Gandhi family, has been widely perceived as the man who will be party's future candidate for PM.


DAL-BATI, NO LAL MAAS AT ALL-VEG BANQUET

It might be disappointing for some Congress leaders looking forward to authentic 'lal maas' but the banquet being held at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence Friday night is an all-vegetarian affair - quite in keeping with party president Sonia Gandhi's message on austerity.

Instead of the famed mutton dish, the 450-odd guests at the dinner being held on day one of the three-day Chintan Shivir, here will be treated to vegetarian delicacies such as gatte ki sabzi, dal-bati, khatta kadhi and desserts like imarti, choorma and Alwar ka mawa.

‘We can get to eat dishes like dal-bati in Delhi too, but real good lal maas is hard to come by,’ a Congress leader said wistfully.