Rahul Will Be Congress' No. 2

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi will be number two in the Congress after Sonia Gandhi, the party said Thursday, ending feverish speculation after the Nehru-Gandhi scion and general secretary declared that he was ready for a "more proactive role in the party and the government".

Rahul Gandhi said the decision had been taken and the timing was left to the leadership.

"I will play more proactive role in the party and the government. The decision has been taken, the timing is up to the leadership," Rahul Gandhi told NDTV after voting for presidential election in the parliament.

The remark evoked almost immediate confirmation about his future role from party media department chairman Janardan Dwivedi who said the young leader was set to play number two position in the party.

"In future, his role would be after Congress president. That is clear," Dwivedi said.

It also set off speculation that Rahul Gandhi, 42, could be projected as the party's prime ministerial candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

This is the first time that Rahul Gandhi has spoken about the possibility of joining the government or taking up a bigger role in the Congress as the party prepares for a string of state elections and the Lok Sabha elections.

Interestingly, the big announcement came on the day former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, and till a few days ago the government and party's chief strategist, was contesting the presidential election - well on his way to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

On Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi said it was up to her son to decide on taking up a bigger role.

There has been growing clamour in the Congress over the need for the young leader to take a bigger role. Law Minister Salman Khurshid had said earlier this month that the party was waiting for a new ideological direction from Rahul Gandhi and had only "seen cameos of his thought and ideas".