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Updated January 6th, 2022 at 07:44 IST

Rahul Gandhi likely to return from 'personal visit' to Italy in 2nd week of January

Cutting it very close to 5 state polls, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will most likely return to India from Italy from the second week of January, reported ANI

Rahul Gandhi
IMAGE: PTI | Image:self
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Cutting it very close to 5 state polls, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will most likely return to India from Italy from the second week of January, reported ANI sources on Wednesday. Gandhi, who has flown abroad to ring in the New year, faces unprecedented infighting in his party. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur go to polls in February 2022.

Rahul Gandhi to return next week

On 29 December, Gandhi jetted off to Italy to ring in New Year 2022 post a long break ahead of the Winter Session of the Parliament. As BJP taunted the Wayanad MP, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala informed that the Wayanad MP is on 'brief personal visit' and told BJP to 'not spread rumours unnecessarily'. Gandhi's visit to Italy also comes amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in Europe due to the Omicron variant.

Rahul's abroad trips

Gandhi's abroad visit comes mere months after his short trip to the United Kingdom to spend the holiday season in London. In December 2020, Gandhi left for Milan, Italy for a 'short personal trip' for a few days amid the peak of the Centre-Farmer faceoff over the Farm laws. His absence from India was a critical time as Congress was preparing for party presidential elections. That has now been postponed to September 2022.

The ex-Congress chief has a penchant for disappearing before critical elections. In 2019, Gandhi had conspicuously flown off to Bangkok in October ahead of the Maharashtra and Haryana state Assembly polls.  Days later, he had also left for abroad on a 'meditational visit' when Congress was scheduled to hold 35 press conferences and protests between November 1 and November 15, 2019 against the anti-economic policies and decisions of PM Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. Many Congress leaders who have left the party have complained of Gandhi's' 'unapproachability'.

5 state Polls & Congress

Five high-stakes elections will be held in February 2022, with Congress being the primary Opponent in Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur, the ruling party in Punjab and eyeing to comeback in UP. In Punjab, since the ouster of Capt Amarinder Singh, the party has been split into two - Navjot Sidhu camp and CM Charanjit Channi camp. It is also facing friction in its Uttarakhand unit as ex-CM Harish Rawat wished to be CM face - the crisis has temporarily been averted after Rawat met Gandhi. In Goa and Manipur, Congress faces mass defection to AAP, BJP and Trinamool while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is doggedly campaigning in UP. 

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Published January 6th, 2022 at 07:44 IST

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