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NEW DELHI — Rahul Gandhi, member of Parliament and son of the ruling Congress Party president, Sonia Gandhi, who is also expected to be the next leader of the Congress Party, has now been tapped to be the next Indian defense minister, says a media report.
The outgoing finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, is likely to win the presidential election, leaving room for a Cabinet reshuffle.
The media report could not be confirmed here in the Congress headquarters, but sources said Rahul Gandhi is likely to be raised into the Cabinet.
An Indian Army officer said Gandhi’s presence would be welcome news to the Defence Forces because his clout would allow him to speed up defense programs.
“With Rahul Gandhi in as defense minister, the Indian defense minister could actually get an increase in budget allocation to over 2 percent of gross domestic product,” said Nitin Mehta, a defense analyst here.
