Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi returned home from his 56-day sabbatical to challenging days ahead but his partymen were confident that he would revive the organisation that is struggling to come to terms with successive electoral debacles.
The 44-year-old leader arrived here at 11.15 AM in a Thai Airways plane from Bangkok, ending days of intense speculation over his return and amidst celebrations by party workers who burst crackers outside his residence.
Wearing a dark shirt and seated in the back seat of his vehicle, he arrived home escorted by his security personnel. He drove straight into the house without interacting with the waiting media persons.
The plane, which was scheduled to land at 10.35 AM, was delayed by 40 minutes, sources said. Shortly later, Rahul drove to his 12, Tughlaq Lane residence where his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka were waiting.
But still there was no knowing as to where he had gone and spent his period of leave of absence that started on the eve of the budget session of Parliament that began on Feb 23.
He is slated to participate in the farmers’ rally organised by the party here on Sunday against the land acquisition ordinance.
There were questions raised by senior leaders including Amarinder Singh, Shiela Dikshit and her son Sandeep over Rahul’s leadership qualities during his absence but today there were other leaders who were unanimous that he would revive take the party on the road to revival.
They would not countenance any questions on where Rahul was during his mysterious sabbatical.
The BJP was sarcastic about Rahul asking him to tell the country as to where he was during his holiday and whether or not he wanted to continue in politics.
“From Nehru to Rahul, it is the withering away of the dynasty,” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra said adding he “ran away” as he had lost all confidence.
Party’s chief spokesman Randip Surjewala said, “There is great enthusiasm, elation and happiness among crores of Congressmen with the return of Congress Vice President post his introspection.”
He will provide the right impetus in Congress’ thrust to put people’s issues at the centre stage of national agenda.
“Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have provided leadership, have guided party through ups and downs and have enthused cadres with their charismatic leadership,” he said. adding the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi “is the need of the hour”.
Asked where Rahul had gone, whether to Myanmar for a Vipasana meditation course, Surjewala said, “What is more important is that the leave of absence was for introspection and not vacation. …to work with greater vigour.I am not entering into the speculation of physical location or place.
“He is mature political leader of country’s oldest party. He has thought about invigoration. In the days to come, he will interact with partymen as also friends of the media ….to bring back its inherent strength.”
Gandhi family loyalist and Rajya Sabha member Mani Shankar Aiyar dismissed questions raised over Rahul’s capabilities saying the media and critics were looking for negative aspects while “99.9 per cent” of the Congress workers are confident about his abilities.
“Now that he has come the party and everyone should look forward to the future,” Aiyar said, a view that was shared by his party colleagues P C Chacko and Anand Sharma.
“He is back and I have no doubt that he will be not only taking proactive measures but also with dynamism, with commitment provide leadership,” Sharma said, adding that farmers’ issue has been close to Rahul’s heart.
On the eve of the budget session, the party had announced that Rahul had gone on a “leave of absence” which had raised questions over his leadership role at a time when the party is struggling to find its feet after a string of electoral defeats.
The party had then said that he “requested Congress President Sonia Gandhi for some time to reflect on recent events and future course of the party”.
Ever since the announcement of his temporary break from political life, there has been speculation that he was unhappy with not getting a free hand to run the party, a contention which the party has officially denied.
Rahul’s leave had come amid talk of an AICC session, where he was expected to be elevated as Congress President.
During his absence, several party leaders including former chief ministers Amarinder Singh and Sheila Dikshit came out in the open pitching for Sonia Gandhi to continue as president and raised questions over his leadership.
Congress leaders had announced that Rahul would be back by April 19 for farmers’ rally. During his absence, the Sonia Gandhi had led an opposition attack on the land acquisition ordinance with a multi-party march to Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Sources also said that plans are underway to organise an interaction of Rahul Gandhi with a delegation of farmers on April 17, two days before he will address the Kisan-Khet Mazdoor rally of the party.
BJP mocks Rahul return, says Cong, VP both “confused”
BJP today greeted Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s return with sarcasm as it asked him to tell the people whether or not he wanted to continue in politics and also took a jibe at the opposition party over its “leadership crisis”.
Noting that he has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra offered his “congratulations” to Congress upon Rahul’s return and said that the vice president and his party were both confused as to their future.
“He (Rahul) is confused. He does not know what he wants to do with his life, whether he wants to continue in politics. He has to answer to the people.
“Congress is confused because it does not know what it has to do with Rahul, whether to elevate him or marginalise him,” Patra said as he spoke about a “vertical split” in the party.
Congress has become a “rudderless ship” and is suffering from a “leadership crisis”, he said.
Senior Congress leaders have been speaking in different voices on the issue of the party’s leadership with many pitching for Sonia Gandhi to continue as its president instead of her son Rahul taking over at the helm.
“This is the first time in Indian politics that an important member of a political party was absconding for such a long time that his return has become news. This is news for all the wrong reasons,” Patra said.
Union Minister and BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it was a “concern” for Congress that Rahul was making news for his “disappearance” and “appearance”.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena, a party allied to BJP, said it was high time that the Congress scion stopped worrying about the country and his party and started thinking about himself.
Rahul today returned home from his unexplained, 56-day sabbatical which had raised questions over his leadership of the party that is struggling to find its feet after a string of electoral defeats.