Sonia Gandhi on Goa vacation, image of her riding bicycle posted on social media

After handing over the reins of Congress president to son Rahul Gandhi, Sonia reportedly left for a vacation in Goa on December 26.

Sonia Gandhi has settled into retired life, going by images of the former Congress president riding a bicycle and smiling doing the rounds on social media.

Actor Riteish Deshmukh tweeted this image of Sonia Gandhi enjoying a cycle ride and posing for photos. ((Twitter/@Riteishd))

After her son Rahul Gandhi was elected Congress president, Sonia reportedly left for a vacation in Goa on December 26. Media reports say that Gandhi is staying at the Leela hotel in south Goa.

Actor Riteish Deshmukh tweeted a picture of a relaxed Sonia Gandhi, riding a cycle and smiling for photos. Riteish’s father, the late Vilasrao Deshmukh, was a senior Congress leader and a former chief minister of Maharashtra.

Sonia, 71, became the Congress party president in 1998 and has lead India’s grand old party for 19 years, making her the longest serving party president. Just ahead of the announcement of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi was anointed as the new party chief after he was elected to the post withiut any opposition.

On December 15, a day before Rahul took charge as Congress president, Sonia told reporters outside Parliament, “My role is to retire.”

As Sonia enjoys her vacation, Rahul will head to Himachal Pradesh on December 29 to review the party’s defeat in the state assembly elections.