'Sulking' Rahul Gandhi skips party meet, sets tongues wagging

A 'sulking' Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday, skipped the party function here to mark the 25th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The Indian Youth Congress (IYC), that organised the conference, had put out large banners welcoming the party's crown prince Rahul Gandhi to the venue. The Congress leadership was expecting the event to act as a catalyst to lift the sagging morale of cadre, that took a beating following the drubbing it received in assembly polls to four states.

Though his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi did attend the function, Rahul's absence from the day-long function raised concern. While his office later clarified that he was indisposed and will attend party duties from Monday, insiders said, he was sulking at the comments of some party leaders. They pointed out that 'indisposed' Rahul had, earlier in the day, accompanied his mother, sister Priyanka and brother-in-law Robert Vadra to the Veer Bhumi memorial.

On Friday, senior party general secretary Digvijay Singh, while calling for a surgery within the party, also commented on Rahul's inability to match the gift of the gab of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Also, leaders like Shashi Tharoor, were prompt in coming out in the open, giving lectures on the "way forward".

Trying her best to pep up the spirits of cadre, Sonia told the gathering: "If one sticks to principles, no failure is permanent". But that was not enough to stop the wagging tongues in party circles. Ever since the massive defeat in four states, commemoration ceremony was being touted as first public appearance of top leadership. Instead of attending it, Rahul took to twitter to remember his father. "Remembering Rajivji today, he touched the lives of so many as a leader, as a friend & above all as a good human being," Rahul said in a series of tweets.

In order to salvage the situation, Congress spokespersons continued to shield Rahul, by blaming party's state leaderships for the debacle. "The electoral strategies in the five states were made by the local leadership; the high command didn't enforce its wish on any state," said senior spokesperson PC Chacko.