It was a perfect setting for a birthday -- a cake, balloons, flowers and crackers -- but the birthday boy was missing.
The venue was outside the 24, Akbar Road, All India Congress Committee headquarters where Congressmen gathered in large numbers this morning to celebrate the 39th birthday of Rahul Gandhi.
However, Gandhi, hailed in the party circles as one of the architects of the party's victory in the Lok Sabha polls, was not present as he is abroad.
Phool Singh, a supporter, who wants to see the young Gandhi as the prime minister, organised a 'havan (yagna)' with the help of two priests to pray for the long life of the Amethi MP.
"We are celebrating the birthday of our leader. We want to see him as the prime minister. He is the only leader who thinks of the welfare of the country," Singh said, as 'mantras (hymns)' rent the air.
A group of youngsters burst crackers and distributed the sweets, but were disappointed when they could not meet their leader.
"He has fired the imagination of the youth. We see in him the image of his father Rajiv Gandhi," said Jitendra, a young supporter, who raised slogans eulogising the AICC general secretary.
Image: Party workers pour milk on cut-out figure of Rahul Gandhi to celebrate his birthday in Chennai
Photograph: Babu/Reuters
