Rahul Gandhi unanimously endorsed as vice president of India's ruling Congress (3)

NEW DELHI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- India's ruling Congress party Sunday endorsed the decision to officially name Rahul Gandhi the party's vice president, the highest position of the party next to his mother Sonia Gandhi.

A day after the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest policy-making body, unanimously passed a resolution naming Rahul Gandhi the vice president, over 1,200 delegates of the All India Congress Committee at the 'Chintan Shivir' in Jaipur of the western state or Rajasthan unanimously supported the decision.

Rahul Gandhi, a fourth generation scion of India's powerful Nehru-Gandhi clan, is expected to be made the party's prime ministerial candidate in 2014.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, addressing the delegates, said there was "no reason" the party should not get public mandate again if it works in the right way in the next general election.

"There is only 15 months left for the (2014) elections. I am confident, if we work in the right way and are united, there is no reason we should not get public mandate again," she said.

While emphasizing that discipline and unity was essential for the success of the party, she said party members should make more publicity about the achievement made by the party and its good work of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government over the past nine years.

She also said the victim of the Dec. 16 Delhi gang-rape which shocked India "embodied the spirit of an aspirational India" and the government would ensure her sacrifice did not go in vain.

She vowed to press for passage of the women's reservation bill for one-third reservation to women in assemblies and parliament.

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