Rahul Gandhi on sabbatical to mull over Congress' future

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has gone on a sabbatical “for a few weeks” to reflect upon recent events and the future of the party that was completely wiped out in the Delhi assembly elections capping a string of losses.

Rahul has been “granted leave of absence for a few weeks after which he will return and resume his active participation in the affairs of the Congress party,” party sources said.

They said he has requested Congress President Sonia Gandhi for some time to reflect on recent events and future course of the party.

He believes that the direction that the party adopts at the upcoming All India Congress Committee session will be of crucial importance for its future and he wishes to prepare for it, the sources said.

Congress has been performing badly at the hustings, which started with the Lok Sabha elections last year and continued in the assembly elections in various states including Delhi recently.

The debacle in Delhi, where Congress failed to get even one seat in the 70-member house, was more stunning as the party had ruled the state for 15 years till December 2013.

The AICC session is expected in early April and media reports have suggested that Rahul could be made the party chief on that occasion.