Rahul Gandhi meets Varun Gandhi at Kedarnath

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his cousin Varun Gandhi, a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, met each other briefly on Tuesday at the Kedarnath temple where both had gone to offer prayers, sources said. The meeting between the cousins, who are rarely seen together in public, triggered speculation in some quarters over Varun Gandhi's political future.

Varun Gandhi, the son of Sanjay and Maneka Gandhi, has not been seen at key BJP meets in recent months and his comments on crucial issues have sometimes been at variance with the party's stand.

Sources said the Gandhis met briefly outside the revered shrine and exchanged pleasantries.


They said the meeting was "very short" and "warm one".

Rahul Gandhi was "very happy" to meet Varun's daughter, they said.

Sources said though the two cousins do not meet, they have maintained "good and civil" ties.

The sources also said that nothing political was discussed at the meeting.

Rahul Gandhi has been at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand for the last three days, while Varun Gandhi visited the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva along with his family on Tuesday.