Beleaguered Indian Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi is taking a break from politics to "reflect" on the future course of his party after a series of electoral defeats, officials said Monday. Gandhi has been heavily criticised for his lacklustre leadership as number two in the Congress, which has suffered a series of state election defeats since its disastrous performance in national polls last year.
"He has sought a few weeks of leave to reflect on his own role in the party and the future course of the Congress," said a senior party official who did not wish to be named. "He will be back to work after that." The party official, a former minister, dismissed speculation the 44-year-old Nehru-Gandhi family scion could quit politics altogether or take over from his mother Sonia as party president.
He came under fire from the opposition for his decision to go on a sabbatical on the same day that India's nearly month-long budget session of parliament started. After a disastrous election campaign trail last year in which Rahul struggled to connect with voters, the party went on to suffer more losses. These included a complete wipe-out in Delhi assembly elections earlier this month in which the upstart Aam Aadmi Party took power.
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