Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s sudden decision to take leave of absence as the Budget Session of Parliament began on Monday set off speculation that it was an act of dissent over differences with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
While sources close to Mr. Gandhi admitted that there were differences within the leadership over the future course of action and the composition of the party organisation, they denied these differences were the provocation for the decision.
Party surprised
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s sudden decision to take leave of absence took his party and even those close to him by surprise, putting them on the defensive.
“He requested Congress president Sonia Gandhi for some time to reflect on recent events and the future course of the party,” a senior leader said. The leader confirmed that contrary to earlier plans, Mr. Gandhi would not be addressing the Congress’s sit-in protest against the Bill amending the Land Acquisition Act.
The protest would go on as planned with leaders close to him addressing the rally at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.
Congress sources said Mr. Gandhi could not carry out the introspection exercise earlier because he was gathering feedback from party leaders he met since the Congress’s dismal show in the Lok Sabha polls. “He couldn’t do this later either because the AICC session is scheduled for April. Immediately after the Delhi results, he got busy with planning the anti-land ordinance agitation,” a source close to him said.
Another leader in the party, who was a critical part of Mr. Gandhi’s team in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, admitted that there were differences between the Congress president and the vice-president over the continuation of a few office-bearers in the party organisation. “Mr. Gandhi has expressed this for a long time that if he is to be held accountable for all the party’s losses, he should be allowed to pick his team and remove those general secretaries he doesn’t want around,” the leader said.
The BJP criticised Mr. Gandhi’s absence.
Party leader Anurag Thakur said: “It is for him and the party to decide what their priorities are. They were missing for a long time, that is why they got 44 seats in the last election.”
