At a glance: Team Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Political pundits may believe that Rahul Gandhi does not have any chance in upcoming general elections but Rahul himself is not leaving any stone unturned in putting up a tough fight in these elections. He has got a team that is working overnight to ensure that the Congress party gives a decent performance and plays an important role in govt formation post elections. Actually, he has formed two sets of teams. One team looks directly after Rahul Gandhi's election meetings, key messaging, his positioning in social media and his interaction strategies. This team also consists of bureaucrats who advise him on key policy decisions as well. The other team consists of veteran Congress politicians who guide him on matters related to political intricacies and advise him on key political matters.Let's have a look at both the teams one by one and we'll start with the team that looks after Rahul Gandhi's election meetings, key messaging etc.1.Kanishka SinghKanishka Singh can be considered as the Chief-of-staff of Rahul Gandhi's team working from 12, Tughlak Road. Known as ‘K' in political circles, he is like Rahul's alter ego and accompanies wherever Rahul goes. He is responsible for fixing all appointments and meetings of Rahul Gandhi.A computer engineer by training, Rahul did his MBA from Wharton. He is also a product of the prestigious St. Stephens College. Kanishka entered politics in 2003, and was part of Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit's team that swept the assembly polls held that year.2.Mohan GopalMohan Gopal is the Director of Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies and advises Rahul on key legal, social and economic issues. He also provides inputs for Rahul Gandhi's speeches. 3.Anand AdkoliAnand Adkoli, son-in-law of union minister Veerappa Moily, handles Rahul Gandhi's social media campaign. He strategizes for effectively projecting Rahul on cyber and TV platforms. 4. Kaushal VidyartheeKaushal has done his D Phill from Oxford and is responsible for doing research and providing inputs to Rahul for his speeches. Kaushal is also associated with Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikash Pariyojna, the flagship programme of Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust.5. Alankar SawaiAlankar always accompanies Rahul Gandhi to AICC meetings. His other responsibilities include providing documents and background papers to Rahul Gandhi. He is also part of the team that handles social media.6. Sachin RaoA graduate of Michigan Business School, Sachin is mainly responsible for handling internal surveys of the Congress party. He is also responsible for coordinating with Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and NSUI. 7. K RajuRaju is an IAS officer of 1981 batch. Raju belongs to the Dalit community and has resigned from the service. He is also the chairman of SC cell of Congress party. He mainly advises Rahul on social issues. 8. K.B. ByjuAn ex sharpshooter of SPG, Byju used to provide security to Rahul Gandhi. He quit the force and plunged into politics to support Rahul Gandhi. He is mainly responsible for coordinating Rahul Gandhi's tours with security agencies and the party. He also has the additional responsibility of looking after media. 9. Bhanwar Jitendra SinghThe Alwar MP is the union minister with independent charge for sports and youth affairs. He is also the minister of state for defense. He looks after Rahul Gandhi's political wing. He is also the companion of Rahul Gandhi on his vocational tours. 10. Ajay Maken Maken is the chairman of Congress party's communication department. A tech-savvy Maken is Rahul's choice and advises him on what issues should be raised in public.There is another team that is referred to as the “core team” and it consists of veteran Congress leaders. Let's have a look at this team:1. Priyanka GandhiPriyanka has emerged as the core strategist for Rahul Gandhi of late. She gives final touches to key messaging on behalf of the party and Rahul Gandhi. She along with Rahul and Sonia are the top decision makers of the party. All major decisions are taken by the trio after proper consultation among themselves. Priyanka is also responsible for coordinating between the younger and older generation of the party. Priyanka formulates and monitors campaign strategies for both Rahul and Sonia Gandhi.2. A K AntonyA politician with clean image, A K Antony is one of the highly respected politicians in the eyes of both Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Rahul considers him as his ‘Guru'. It was Antony who had proposed Rahul's name for vice president position. Rahul takes his advise on every crucial matter. Antony is also the chairman of ‘Manifesto Committee' of the party. He functions as the bridge between the party and the government. 3. Sam PitrodaSam Pitroda is associated with Congress party for last 40 years. He calls Rahul his son. Known for his pioneering role in bringing about ‘computer revolution' in the country, Sam advises Rahul on key policy issues and public matters. 4. Suman DubeSuman Dubey is the family friend of Gandhi family. He helps Rahul and Sonia in resolving their differences. He is believed to have played a key role in formulating campaign strategy for Congress party in the ongoing 2014 general elections.5. Jairam RameshJairam Ramesh heads the war room of Rahul Gandhi. It's this war room that manages the entire election campaign of Congress party. He also writes slogans for the party. 6. Ahmed PatelAhmed Patel is the political secretary to Congress party Sonia Gandhi for a very long time but he is a new entrant to Rahul Gandhi's core team. It is said that he has replaced Digvijay Singh who lost favours with Rahul after the party lost the UP elections. It is also believed that Sonia Gandhi persuaded Rahul Gandhi to include Ahmed Patel in his core team given his experience and political acumen. Now Ahmed Patel advises Rahul on all crucial matters and accompanies him in all important meetings.

At a glance: Team Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Political pundits may believe that Rahul Gandhi does not have any chance in upcoming general elections but Rahul himself is not leaving any stone unturned in putting up a tough fight in these

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