Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi spent two hours, purportedly discussing current politics, in a luncheon meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday.

While details on what transpired between in the two are still to emerge, the meeting is considered significant in the backdrop of last week’s Congress core group meet.

Mukherjee has been interacting with top political leaders from all parties on a regular basis – be it over lunch or dinner – ever since he was elected the president this month last year. Among leaders he has met till date are BJP veteran LK Advani, leaders of opposition in parliament Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitely, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, senior CPI leader AB Bardhan, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Samajwadi Party and bahujan Samaj Party supremos Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati, respectively.

Mukherjee, who completes his first year in Rashtrapati Bhavan in another ten days July 25, has also visited 24 states of the country till date. The only states he is yet to visit are Gujarat, Goa and two northeastern Indian states. 

Mukherjee plans a foreign visit – to Turkey and Brussels – this October, while his first visit to Mauritius aimed an interacting with smaller nations in the region. In an interesting new pattern he has established since becoming the country’s president, the former finance minister reviews follow-up actions taken at both ends with the external affairs ministry three months after each foreign jaunt.

On July 25, Mukherjee plans to unveil a Gandhi statue inside Rashtrapathi Bhavan and from September onwards, he has issued instructions to have the guests wing of Rashtrapathi Bhavan renovated and have it opened to foreign dignitaries.