PM Modi wishes Rahul Gandhi happy birthday, long life

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 19

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wished Congress president Rahul Gandhi a happy birthday and a long life in a message on Twitter.

Gandhi turns 49 today and will be arriving at Congress headquarters shortly to celebrate his day with the leaders.

Best wishes to Shri @RahulGandhi on his birthday. May he be blessed with good health and a long life.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 19, 2019

This will be Gandhi’s first interaction with party members after he told a May 25 party working committee meeting that he was not interested in continuing as party chief anymore and the leaders should have a non Gandhi chief instead.

Congress supporters got into a celebratory mood, dancing to the beat of drums in the morning outside the Congress office on Akbar Road here. 

There were similar scenes outside 10 Janpath Road, his mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's residence where Youth Congress members led the celebrations. 

Gandhi arrived at the party office with a packet of sweets, which he distributed among the media persons. 

He then cut a cake along with the party workers. 

Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi's sister and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Ghulam Nabi Azad and others poured into the party office and greeted Rahul Gandhi. 

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said: "I wish Congress President Rahul Gandhi happy birthday". 

कांग्रेस पार्टी के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री @RahulGandhi को जन्मदिन की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ देता हूँ।

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) 19 June 2019

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted: "Your indomitable courage in face of every adversity, your indelible commitment to principles in face of every onslaught, your simplicity and straight forwardness when being Machiavellian is often considered a virtue is what endears you and sets you apart. Happy Birthday Rahul Gandhi".  

Your indomitable courage in face of every adversity,

Your indelible commitment to principles in face of every onslaught,

Your simplicity & straightforwardness when being machiavellian is often considered a virtue is what endears u & sets u apart.

Happy Birthday @RahulGandhi. pic.twitter.com/uzEasjLtHl

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) 19 June 2019

Rahul Gandhi tweeted: "Thank you all for your best wishes and greetings on my birthday. I am overwhelmed and grateful for your love and affection". Rahul Gandhi was born on this day in 1970 to Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. 

Thank you all for your best wishes & greetings on my birthday. I’m overwhelmed & grateful for your love & affection 🙏 pic.twitter.com/VZG9s49hOF

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 19 June 2019

Thank you for your greetings @narendramodi ji. I appreciate them 🙏 https://t.co/ZG9U3tdMTN

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 19 June 2019

He has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala but was defeated in Amethi. Under his leadership, the Congress won only 52 Lok Sabha seats, forcing Rahul Gandhi to say that he wants to give up the party's presidency.

Gandhi has kept the Congress guessing about what the party’s future would look like as he is not involved in transcription discussions nor is he taking the lead in forging an agreement on who his successor could be.