Click to play videoNew Delhi: The prince of the Gandhi family charmed his way into the hearts of Indian voters. Since contesting for the first time in 2004 from Amethi, in Uttar Pradesh, reaching out people, playing with children have been typical scenes in the Rahul story - all perhaps an attempt to showcase himself as one of the ordinary folks.
While the fair, bespectacled look was always drawing crowds questions were being raised about Rahul's abilities to convert this crowd into votes. The first conscious attempt was perhaps made by Rahul in Parliament last year when he made an impassioned speech about his experiences of rural India.
Rahul tried to draw attention to the plight of poor Dalits in a speech where he was constantly laughed at and jeered at by the Opposition.
But on the campaign trail in 2009, Rahul adopted a different strategy. He took a conscious decision that he won't budge under pressure from allies.
To veterans like NCP leader Sharad Pawar and RJD leader Lalu Prasad, it appeared to be an arrogant move. To Rahul's supporters, it was Rahul lining himself up for the future - a future where the Congress would have been the only principal pole of the country's politics.
The BJP's shrill campaign of criticising Manmohan Singh as a weak Prime Minister also brought out a new trait in Rahul. So far unwilling to respond to any of the barbs from Narendra Modi and company, Rahul became aggressive when it came to defending the Prime Minister.
"You say that he is weak, but what about Advani ji in Kandahaar," he said at a press conference before the elections.
So is it just the beginning of better future for Rahul Gandhi? Till now, he has not delivered in key Assembly elections. He campaigned aggressively in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat during the Assembly elections though and the hard work may just deliver good results now.
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