Rahul returns after sabbatical; Sonia, Priyanka at his residence

Congress vice-resident to attend a special committee meeting to supervise preparations for the April 19 rally against land Bill

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday ended his much-talked-about sabbatical and landed in Delhi, after 56 days. Gandhi’s departure in the midst of the crucial Budget session had raised many an eyebrow, not only in the party but in political circles. 

His office at Tughlaq Road confirmed that both Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi had arrived at his residence an hour before his arrival at the capital’s IGI airport at around 11 am.

He has returned at a time when there is a raging debate within the Congress over the imminent change in leadership, with several senior leaders questioning his leadership skills and preferring Sonia Gandhi continuing as party President. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit is reported to have told a journalist that this was not the time for a change in party leadership.

 

Earlier, there had been rumours that Rahul was on a foreign trip, after media reports suggested he was holidaying abroad. But a party worker had posted a few pictures on microblogging site Twitter that suggested Rahul Gandhi was camping in Uttarakhand. 

While some reports had claimed he was in Europe, various others suggested he could be in Vietnam or Myanmar. Party leaders and spokespersons had been going blue in the face trying to defend Rahul Gandhi’s sudden and extended leave, at a time when an issue so important as the struggle against the new government’s ‘anti-farmer’ Land acquisition Bill was being discussed. Incidentally it was Gandhi who had championed the Land rights agitation during the Congress-led previous government’s rule.

The party, though, had contended that Gandhi’s absence premised on his need to chart out the Congress’ future course of action, in “isolation”. Some party leaders had said that Gandhi had requested for “some time to reflect on recent events and the future course for the party”.

Reports of Rahul’s return triggered quite a buzz on social media, with most posts speculating on the change that he might have returned with. 

Gandhi will on Friday be attending the meeting of the special committee that is supervising the preparations for the much-hyped Congress’ rally on Sunday against the Land bill. Not only will Gandhi address the rally, the first public meeting after his return, but he will be the Congress’ face for the Land bill agitation.

It now remains to be seen whether Gandhi will be at the forefront of the Congress' agitation against the Land bill in the second half of Parliament’s Budget session. Since his departure, Sonia Gandhi's spirited thrust on leading a delegation of Opposition leaders — and thereafter her visits to some states to highlight farmer distress — has raised demands for her continuing at the helm.