Sonia hosts farewell dinner for Manmohan
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was lavishly praised yesterday at a farewell dinner hosted by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and attended by a galaxy of party leaders except Rahul Gandhi who skipped it, raising political eyebrows.
The function at 10 Janpath, Sonia's residence, was held as a mark of gratitude by the party whose coalition government 81-year-old Manmohan led for 10 long years.
Both Manmohan and his wife Gursharan Kaur were presented with bouquets and party leaders were seen scrambling for a photograph with the couple and Sonia Gandhi.
The only sour note was the absence of Rahul at the dinner. PMO sources late tonight said that Rahul met the PM on Saturday to say that he won't be in town and had already thanked him.
There was speculation that Rahul was probably travelling abroad and would be back before counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls begins tomorrow.
Manmohan, the economist-turned-politician, had announced his retirement in January, saying he would not run for a third term. He would be demitting office on May 17, a day after the election results are announced.
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