NEW DELHI: Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi will take over as Congress chief today, in place of

his mother Sonia Gandhi, a generational shift at the top of India's oldest party that could have trickle-
down effects too. Mr Gandhi, who has often been seen as a reluctant politician, was named the chief-to-
be on Monday after no one else from his party challenged him in the internal election.

Mr Gandhi's promotion, however, comes at a tumultuous time. The Gujarat election, where the final
phase of voting was held this week, was the first time that Rahul Gandhi led the party's campaign from
the front. Though his party billed it as a sign of an overhauled public image, nearly all exit polls have
predicted the Congress losing to the BJP by a large margin. The Congress is also widely expected to lose
Himachal Pradesh. Results for both the state elections will be declared on Monday.