On a day the Congress party lost two big states, its vice president Rahul Gandhi was in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, which was battered by Cyclone Hudhud last weekend.
As votes were counted for the Maharashtra and Haryana elections, Mr Gandhi began a two-day tour of cyclone-affected regions. While various Congress leaders launched into firefighting mode, on twitter, "Where is Rahul Gandhi?" became a trending topic.
As in the national election, the Congress has been decimated in Maharashtra and Haryana; the party is not even the main opposition in either state.
Perhaps in anticipation of what it described as anti-incumbency, the party had started fortifying its chief Sonia Gandhi and her son and deputy Rahul from any blame. The Congress argued that anti-incumbency will be a bigger factor in these polls as the party has ruled Maharashtra for 15 years and Haryana for 10 years.
"These are state elections and they are not a reflection on the national leadership of any party," PC Chacko, senior Congress spokesperson has said.
After Rahul Gandhi led the Congress to its worst defeat in the May national election, the party had rejected his resignation offer and asserted that it was collective failure. Critics described it as a choreographed move to shield the Gandhis from any questions about leadership.
Mr Gandhi wasn't the face of the party's campaign in these states and addressed only about a dozen rallies. In Maharashtra, he addressed four rallies compared to Mr Modi's 27.
Despite efforts to insulate its young leader from awkward comparisons with PM Modi, the Congress faced embarrassing questions within. Shortly after trends suggested that the Congress was staring at one more humiliating verdict, a group of workers gathered outside the party headquarters with posters saying: "Priyanka Lao, Congress Bachao (Bring Priyanka, save Congress)."
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi's sister, has declined reports that she is ready to take on a larger role in the party.
If the trend continues, the BJP and its allies can have an upper hand in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament, in three years. A majority in both houses is crucial for clearing legislation.
Source: NDTV
