'Irresponsible' Rahul Gandhi's absence from Sheila Dikshit's cremation and amid Karnataka crisis upsets senior Congress leaders

In a major political development, Rahul Gandhi's US vacation has upset senior leaders in the Congress party. With the ongoing Karnataka crisis, in which the JD(S) - Congress coalition government at the verge of falling, Rahul Gandhi's absence has been a bone of contention among the senior leaders. Moreover, the senior leaders are upset because the former Congress chief missed the last rites ceremony of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who passed away on July 20, Saturday (03:55 PM).

Sources said that Rahul Gandhi is on US vacation even though the Congress party is in crisis. The entire party was present ahead of the last rites of Sheila Dikshit at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi and when her mortal remains were carried to AICC. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka GandhiVadra was also present along with Robert Vadra, however, Rahul Gandhi was missing. Moreover, the Wayanad lawmaker is also missing the ongoing parliamentary sessions. Even though he is missing the Lok Sabha sessions, he did not fail to attack the Prime Minister Modi's government on the lie spread by President of United States of Donald Trump. Earlier, on the day of election in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi, he dis not visit the constituency which was dubbed as the Gandhi family bastion. Rahul Gandhi has been criticised for vanishing from the scene at crucial times. 

Here are the numbers in Karnataka at present:

BJP - 105 MLAs

Congress-JD(S) MLAs - 100 including Ramalinga Reddy 

Speaker- 1

Rebels MLAs- 15

Independent- 2

BSP MLA - 1

Present situation of Congress: 

Around 50 days after Rahul Gandhi stepped down as Congress president, taking moral responsibility for the humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, the grand old party is yet to finalize its new chief. He is now a lawmaker from Wayanad in Kerala, became the Congress president in 2017. He had, earlier this month, written a lengthy four-page letter making his resignation from the post public. Taking responsibility for the drubbing in Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi had said it would not be right for him to suggest a successor.

At present Congress in Goa has completely lost foot, after 10 of its MLAs switched side with the BJP. This has reduced its strength to five in the Assembly. Similarly, in Karnataka, the situation is equally embarrassing for the party, as its coalition government with JD(S) is facing a tough time. The government had slumped into a crisis following the resignation of 16 dissident MLAs and now its survival seems to be tough. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than its 2014 Lok Sabha tally of 44.

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While Rahul Gandhi has been sulking, top sources within the Congress party say that Priyanka has been working overtime with her close ring of leaders to prop herself to the post of Congress president. According to these sources, Priyanka is very angry that Rahul went on record to say that no Gandhi should necessarily succeed him. But because she can't publicly contradict Rahul as of now, she has unleashed a campaign led by her right-hand man and loyalist Rajeev Shukla to take over as Congress president.