A poster at the Congress party headquarters
First, he went missing from a dinner to mark the end of the 10-year tenure of Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister. Now,
Rahul Gandhi, who fronted the Congress campaign for the election, is AWOL on some posters put up at the party headquarters in Delhi. (
Rahul Gandhi Faces Sharp Criticism for Skipping PM's Farewell)
In the hoardings near air-conditioned canopies for media discussions during the counting of votes, Mr Gandhi's mother, Sonia, who is Congress President is also not featured. Instead, the lone image is that of the party symbol, the hand. That's being seen by some as a startling departure for a party obsessed with emphasizing its First Family as its main asset and undisputed leader.
Congress leaders said talk of the Gandhi-less posters was "a needless controversy" and said Mrs Gandhi is in posters near the entrance to the office.
Exit polls estimate that Friday will serve up the Congress' worst-ever performance. NDTV's exit poll gives the party just 79 seats, and predicts a majority for the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate,
Narendra Modi.
Though the Congress has rejected that possibility, underscoring that pollsters incorrectly called the 2009 election in favour of the BJP, its leaders have been heavy-handed in their attempts to shield Mr Gandhi from being held accountable for a largely lacklustre campaign.
Top Congressmen like Kamal Nath have said that the results are a verdict on the government's performance, and Mr Gandhi was not a part of the government. On Wednesday night, at a dinner hosted by his mother for the Prime Minister, the 43-year-old was not present. The Congress sources rejected this as a deep insult to the PM, and said Mr Gandhi is not in town, but had met privately with the PM to thank him for his leadership. (read:
Rahul Gandhi sharply criticised for skipping PM's farewell dinner)
The Gandhis toured India extensively for the campaign, exhorting voters to reject Mr Modi as a communal and divisive leader.
Mr Modi delivered a high-octane and tech-savvy campaign which focused on promises to kickstart a slowing economy and create jobs.