After Italy trip, Rahul Gandhi bound for Malaysia

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, scheduled to return to Delhi on Monday evening from Italy, is bound for foreign lands again -- first to Malaysia for couple of days and then to Singapore for “prescheduled lecture engagements”. He flew to Italy ahead of Holi to give his “93-year-old Nani a surprise hug.”

The Congress chief’s overseas trips come at a time when his party is reeling under defeats in the northeast and amidst a surcharged Parliament session. Congress MPs hope they will have a chance to catch up with Rahul Gandhi in Parliament during the next one or two days before he leaves for Malaysia.

Gandhi is scheduled to address a gathering of businessmen and a youth conclave in Malaysia, apparently organised by Sam Pitroda on the lines of his recent engagements in the US. After his return, Gandhi is slated to go to Singapore to address students in some universities besides other engagements, which, many feel, is an exercise parallel to PM Narendra Modi’s routine foreign engagements. It also means Gandhi and his team seem unaffected by the usual criticisms of his foreign trips.


On Monday, Gandhi reacted to the poll outcome in the northeast on Twitter. “The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. We are committed to strengthening our party across the North East and to winning back the trust of the people. My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party.

In his absence, Sonia Gandhi held over an informal meeting with some Congress floor leaders in Parliament to discuss the party’s strategy.