It’s official now! Rahul Gandhi has been elected as the president of the Congres party on Monday.

The 47-year-old was elected as the boss of the Grand Old Party of India unopposed, Congress leader Mullappally Ramachandran was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.

Addressing the media at party headquarters, Ramachandran said, “89 nomination proposals were received,all were valid.Since there was only one candidate.I hereby declare Rahul Gandhi elected as the president of Indian National Congress.”

All India Congress Committee's Central Election Authority officially announces Rahul Gandhi as the President of the Indian National Congress. #CongressPresidentRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/oUXQQmfloz — Congress (@INCIndia) December 11, 2017

The Gandhi scion will assume the office on December 16. The event will mark a generational shift in the Grand Old Party of India when Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving Congress president, would formally hand over the baton to her son.

Also read Rahul Gandhi likely to be declared Congress President today

The announcement of Rahul Gandhi's elevation came on the last date of withdrawal of nomination for the election of the Congress president which is a one horse race.

Also read Rahul Gandhi likely to assume reins of Congress on December 16

Meanwhile, Congress workers celebrated Rahul's elevation by bursting firecrackers at the Congress HQ.

DNA had reported on December 4 that the big announcement would be made on December 11.

Among those who proposed Rahul Gandhi's name in the first set of nomination papers were Sonia Gandhi, Motilal Vora, Ahmed Patel, Mohsina Kidwai, Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot, Mukul Wasnik, Sheila Dikshit, Tarun Gogoi and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanaswamy.

Party leaders Manmohan Singh, Oscar Fernandes, P Chidambaram, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Anand Sharma, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Meghalaya counterpart Mukul Sangma proposed his name in the second set of nomination papers.

Rahul Gandhi’s era begins at a time when the Congress has lost most of its political power. The Congress has been losing state after state since the 2014 Lok Sabha election with the exception of Punjab.Rahul Gandhi's elevation would come just two days ahead of the counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll.A sure-footed Rahul Gandhi powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him.

Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said reorganising the party would be another major task for him."Every post comes with a challenge. He has to rebuild the party at the grassroots and strengthen the ideological base.

His undisputed election as party president is a sign of his strength. He will have to take everyone along from the AICC level right up to the states," she told PTI.Striking a balance between the old guard and the young leaders would be a key to running the organisation which has many seasoned politicians whose wisdom he could use as he steers the party.

Clarity on the party's ideological stand on the issue of Hindutva would also be important as he is being seen as projecting the Congress's soft Hindutva with his visit to temples in Gujarat. He has also proclaimed himself a "Shiv bhakt".

The deadline set by the Election Commission for conclusion of the organisational elections in the Congress expires on December 31.

Organisational elections in the Congress were due in 2015. The party constitution provides for elections to be held every five years. The last such polls were held in 2010.