Bo Xilai, the mainland's high-profile princeling-politician, is set to be left out in the cold in the upcoming leadership shake-up later this year after his removal as Chongqing party chief yesterday.
The abrupt announcement of Bo's dismissal yesterday morning by Xinhua, China's official news agency, put to rest weeks of speculation about his fate that has dominated domestic political discussions. His removal effectively finished off his political career, which once soared as a major contender for the Communist Party's top ruling body, the Politburo Standing Committee.
Analysts say Bo's departure will likely spur further competition for seats on the top decision-making body ahead of the key party congress this autumn.
His exit greatly boosts the prospects of his perceived arch rival, Guangdong party chief Wang Yang, and Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang, who replaced Bo while retaining his current position.
Dr Kerry Brown, a senior fellow with the London-based Chatham House, said: 'Wang Yang has come out of this a real winner.' However, analysts say that Bo, who comes from a privileged political family, may not fall further and may still keep his position in the party's 25-member Politburo until the 18th party congress.
Bo's downfall also spelled the end to the once-hyped 'Chongqing model' and signalled a major setback for the conservative forces within the party, for whom Bo was regarded as a poster boy, according to analysts. Two major leftist websites on the mainland were apparently blocked yesterday following Bo's removal.