Presumed Heir of Indian Party Requests Leave of Absence

NEW DELHI — Rahul Gandhi, long expected to be the next leader of India’s beleaguered Congress Party, threw political commentators into fits of baffled speculation on Monday when party officials announced that he had requested a leave of absence because he wants time to think.

Mr. Gandhi, the party’s vice president, asked the president — his mother, Sonia Gandhi — for three to four weeks off to “reflect upon recent events and the future course of the party,” said Abishek Manu Singhvi, a party spokesman.

Mr. Gandhi’s retreat comes at a crucial time for the opposition: Monday was the first day of the budget session and the beginning of a major campaign to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s overhaul of land-use laws. Mr. Gandhi was scheduled to lead a party rally on Wednesday.

“The Congress just seems like it’s sleepwalking its way into political oblivion,” Mr. Asim wrote. “The voices of dissent are getting louder, which is as it should be — except for this party, which pledges undying allegiance to a dynasty, even one that delivers terrible results.”

A version of this article appears in print on February 24, 2015, on page A4 of the New York edition with the headline: Presumed Heir Of Indian Party Requests Leave Of Absence. Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe

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