Rahul ignored consequences of letting Himanta leave Congress, says Azad in upcoming memoir

Rahul Gandhi was either asserting himself or ignorant about the "far-reaching consequences" his decision to let Himanta Biswas Sarma leave Congress will have in the entire Northeast for his party, veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad says in his yet-to-be-released autobiography.

The then-party president and Rahul’s mother Sonia Gandhi also did not overrule him despite "understanding the disastrous consequences", Azad says in Azaad: An Autobiography, which will be released on April 5.

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In the memoirs, the former Congress leader talks about his "personal equation" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, devising a strategy with Indira Gandhi to bring Rajiv Gandhi into politics and convincing Sonia to take over as Congress President as well as his life in Congress for around five decades before quitting the party.

Azad, the Chairman of Democratic Azad Party who had severed his five-decade-old relationship with Congress on August 26 last year with a stinging resignation letter that read as an indictment of “non-serious” Rahul, recalls his relationship with Indira, Rajiv, Sonia, Sanjay Gandhi, Maneka Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

In his memoirs, Azad says that Rahul has mismanaged the entire episode involving Sarma, who rebelled against Tarun Gogoi to be Assam Chief Minister in his place and left Congress for the BJP. Himanta also spearheaded BJP's efforts to spread its wings in the north-east and became Assam Chief Minister.

Recalling the events, Azad says he along with other leaders involved had met Rahul at his residence where Tarun Gogoi and his son Gaurav, a Lok Sabha MP, were already present.

"Rahul told us bluntly that there would be no change in leadership. We pointed out to him that Himanta had the majority of MLAs and would rebel and quit the party. Let him go, Rahul said. The meeting was over. I am not sure if Rahul said this to assert himself or because he was ignorant that his decision would have far-reaching consequences, not only in the state of Assam but the entire north-east," he says.

"After our interaction with Rahul, I met Sonia ji and apprised her of the new twist in the tale. Despite understanding the disastrous consequences that lay ahead, it is rather unfortunate that she did not assert herself as the party president. Instead, she asked me to request Himanta to not rock the boat," Azad says.

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Sarma had later claimed that Rahul had ignored them when the leaders went to meet to solve the issues in Assam Congress and the former Congress president was busy feeding his dog with biscuits.

According to Rupa Publications, Azad reveals India’s tumultuous political history, backroom stories, humorous anecdotes and invaluable life lessons.

"As Ghulam Nabi charts his political odyssey, he showcases the grand arc of the great India story through the most dramatic political transformations of the last five decades. The heart of this autobiography is devoted to his half a century-old association with the Congress party," the publisher said.

Azad also seeks to offer a personal perspective of working in government and in Opposition, it said.

"He does not pull his punches, offering his unvarnished opinions on leading politicians from across the political divide -- from his confrontation and comradeship with former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesri, political tricks played by N.D. Tiwari and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to his personal equation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," it added.