Rahul Gandhi [Images], who spoke for about 20 minutes at the Congress plenary session, left Congressmen wondering whether he had accepted their demand to take up responsibility in the party or declined it for the time being. He ended his much awaited speech by saying he would not let the workers down.

It was left to Janardhan Dwivedi to clarify that there was no point in shouting slogans to bring along Rahul as he had already arrived on the political arena of the Congress party. "I have spoken to Congress president Sonia Gandhi [Images] and I assure you that a decision would be taken in accordance to your wishes," Dwivedi said.

• Congress Plenary 2006

Congress leaders and the All India Congress Committee delegates listened to Rahul with rapt attention and loudly cheered and applauded him whenever he made a forceful point; particularly about the revival of the party in the Hindi heartland. Like his mother, he too stressed on the revival of the party in the Hindi heartland and asked party leaders to lend their ears to the party workers who fight the battle for the party at the grassroot level.

"It is these people who take the lathis of the opposition on their back," he said.

He gave a clarion call to party workers to take the flag of the party and fight a decisive battle to regain the states, particularly the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar where the Congress party has done badly.

He also cautioned those states where the Congress leaders after losing elections, like to pass the blame on to religion and caste. "This is not correct. We lose because we do not rise to the expectations of the people in those states," he said.

As far as the delegates were concerned, the plenary was over the moment Rahul made his speech as they marched out of the pandal in Rajiv Nagar.

The Congressmen, needless to say, were in a self-congratulatory mood as the chirag of the party had finally bowed to their wishes and aspirations.

Mother Sonia joined others on the dias and clapped with a smile on her face as her beloved son concluded the much awaited speech on the final day of the 82nd plenary session of AICC.

Sachin Pilot, member of Lok Sabha from Dausa constitutency in Rajasthan, said that the speech delievered by Rahul has raised new hopes and expectations among the younger leaders of the party and cadre.

"They have got a mission. I was impressed with the simplicity with which he spoke. He represents the younger generation of leaders in the Congress party. That Rahul should lead the party is the desire of millions and millions of Congress workers. I am sure that the Congress party is going to be strengthened when they know that their leader is going to go to the battlefield with them. It is heartening to see him taking up the challenge," he said.

Sriprakash Jaiswal too welcomed the speech of Rahul and described it as a historic one. "His one sentence that the Indian flag is his religion is going to send an electrifying message to the entire nation. His presence will help the party to stregthen itself," Jaiswal said.