Wishes pour in for Rahul on 46th birthday

New Delhi

In the morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to wish Rahul, saying: "Birthday wishes to the Congress VP, Shri Rahul Gandhi. May he be blessed with a long and healthy life."

A host of party workers and leaders including senior leaders like Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, P Chidambaram, Sheila Dikshit, Motilal Vora and Anand Sharma greeted Gandhi at his 12, Tughlak Lane residence.

Delhi PCC chief Ajay Maken and hundreds of party leaders and workers met Gandhi at the AICC headquarters to wish him.

While party leaders like Jairam Ramesh have already said that Gandhi is the "de facto" chief of the party, the AICC has so far remained ambivalent on when the young leader would be formally elevated to the top party post. Sonia Gandhi is at the helm of the organisation since March, 1998.

Congress is passing through one of its difficult phases as it has faced successive defeats in Assembly elections after the Lok Sabha poll debacle in May, 2014.

DMK supremo M Karunanidhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundharaj Raje, Chhattsigarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, LJP leader Chirag Paswan, Shahnawaz Hussain of BJP and NCP leader Praful Patel were among other leaders who wished Gandhi long and healthy life on his birthday.

"Thank you everyone for the warm birthday wishes! Grateful for the love & blessings", Gandhi said on Twitter later.

Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje also wished Rahul on his birthday. "Warm Birthday greetings to Shri Rahul Gandhi," she tweeted.

Former Chief Minister Gehlot also extended his wishes to Rahul on Twitter.

Youth Congress members presented a chadar at the dargah of Gatte wale baba at Tonk road, seeking blessings for the party's vice president.