Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's anti-RSS formula that was put to test in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) polls received an emphatic thumbs-up on Wednesday, convincing the party top brass that the 'idea had matured' and it is time to 'replicate' it ahead of the 2019 parliamentary polls.

While the Congress senior leadership read a larger mandate from the youth for the party in the DUSU poll results, party leaders were convinced it was not just a vote in their favour but more against the BJP and RSS. "The youth is disillusioned with the BJP's politics. Despite making tall claims, PM Narendra Modi could not deliver.

He had promised 2 crore jobs and delivered 1.35 lakh. That is abysmal and the youth are now worried about their future. Demonetisation led to major job losses. Almost 15 lakh people were affected directly and the indirect losses are unfathomable," said Congress spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee.

"This is also a vote against the RSS agenda and their attitude of trying to win elections by hook or by crook. Though the polls were initially slated for September 9, they were postponed to September 12 because a day before that Modi ji would address the youth of the nation on the occasion of 100th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's Chicago address. The BJP thought it would be a game changer but it did nothing for them," Mukherjee added.

A new team of leaders handpicked by Rahul was at the helm of affairs to plan, strategise and execute the NSUI campaign on campus. "The release of an early manifesto, interactions with small groups of students and discussions on issues that affect students directly on a daily basis worked in our favour. The issues raised by our candidates resonated with students," Ruchi Gupta, AICC incharge of NSUI told Mail Today.

"Moreover, it was a clear battle of ideologies. Our slogan was to 'Take Back DU' and while the voting percentage usually stands at 35 per cent, it went past 40 per cent this time." As the party leadership attributed the victory to Rahul's anti-RSS formula, it gave the Gandhi family scion, who is set to take over the reins of the party shortly, a new hope. "Congratulations NSUI on a stellar performance and president win in DUSU! Thank students of DU for reposing faith in Congress ideology," tweeted Rahul Gandhi, who is on a tour of the United States. "We knew the tide would turn one day.

The BJP-RSS has been trying to create a fear psychosis, using the state machinery to manipulate polls and ABVP goons openly created ruckus on campus. The youth has given its mandate. The days of RSS-BJP domination are numbered. The DUSU results show that the country is ready for change and the Congress is on the right track," said a senior party functionary. "We now have to step up this attack on the RSS nationally and pursue the battle mainly on ideology."

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Rahul Gandhi's anti-RSS mantra receives thumbs-up in DUSU polls, Congress may replicate it in 2019 election

While the Congress senior leadership read a larger mandate from the youth for the party in the DUSU poll results, party leaders were convinced it was not just a vote in their favour but more against the BJP and RSS.