A day after his 46th birthday, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday left for a foreign destination setting off wild speculation on social media about his timing of leaving the country when the grand old party’s top leadership has been deliberating on massive organisational changes in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
The Congress leader took to Twitter to inform his tour abroad and also thanked all those who met and wished him on his birthday. He tweeted on Monday that he will be travelling out of the country for a “short visit”, but he did not disclose the destination.
“Travelling out of the country for a few days on a short visit. Thanks again to all who met & wished me y’day, truly grateful for your affection!”, Rahul said. Rahul’s 56-day mysterious sabbatical last year had created much controversy in political circles with the ruling BJP making his absence in the midst of Budget Session of Parliament an issue.
On Twitter, many trolled him for the timing of his trip — when there are severe problems within the party — while his followers wished him a happy stay abroad. Congress is passing through a difficult phase since its debacle in the May 2014 lok Sabha polls and has faced a string of defeats in Assembly elections, including in Assam and Kerala.
On the latest development for UP, former UP Congress chief Nirmal Khatri called on party chief Sonia Gandhi but could not meet Rahul since he had left the country.
Hectic parleys have been begun for revamping the party in the Hindi heartland and Khatri was called to discuss the ground situation of the party in the state where Congress lost grounds many years ago.