But the ways of the Congress high command are never so simple. It behaves as a State by itself, reports Sheela Bhatt from New Delhi’s Talkatora stadium after witnessing how the clamour was kept up to name Rahul Gandhi as the Congress PM candidate.

Congressmen can put a spin on political decisions like nobody can.

Partly genuine and in a somewhat stage-managed show, Congressmen are disturbing the speeches of leaders at the All India Congress Committee session in Talkatora stadium to demand that Rahul Gandhi be named as the party’s prime ministerial candidate. They think it will bring clarity and show that the Congress is not afraid of taking on the Bharatiya Janata party and it's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

But the ways of the Congress high command are never so simple. It behaves like a State by itself.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, before her speech at the AICC session on Friday, told the restive Congressmen that her decision to not make Rahul Gandhi the PM candidate is final. However, the party's general secretary in charge of the organisation, Janardhan Dwivedi, later said, "Rahul Gandhi will speak his mind in his speech."

Dwivedi also indicated that there was some surprise in store.

While flattering the Gandhi family and emphasising its unchallenged supremacy to a restless audience who was clamouring for Rahul, Dwivedi asked, "Is there any name other than that of Rahul Gandhi? Is there any alternative to Rahul Gandhi? Is there any confusion about Rahul Gandhi's leadership?"

Then, he asked a wily question to the Congressmen and to the political class watching the live television broadcast, "If it is not so, then why don't you understand it straightway?"

This is the typical tradition of Congress functions where the dynasty is kept alive at the core of its existence.

But when Dwivedi asked if there was anyone other than Rahul, the Congressmen in audience thought about the latter as the PM candidate. But it also created a flutter: was Rahul Gandhi looking for somebody else or what?

Image: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi. Photograph: Pressbrief