A day after the 137th foundation day celebrations of Congress party, former party president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday left for a trip to Italy on a "brief visit"
“Rahul Gandhi is on a brief personal visit. BJP and its friends in the media should not spread unnecessary rumours," said AICC chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.
With the 2022 Punjab assembly elections approaching closer and Congress struggling to keep their partymen together in Punjab, the Congress leader's sudden visit has sparked multiple rumours already. Moreover, Rahul Gandhi is also scheduled to address an election rally in Moga, Punjab on January 3 and may return in time, news agency PTI reported quoting its sources.
However, in view of the fact that the Congress leader had flown abroad ahead of the winter session of Parliament for nearly a month, speculations are circulating that he might not make it in time for the rally in Moga. The Congress party is yet to disclose his date of return. The election rally is likely to get postponed if Gandhi doesn't arrive back in India on time.
Gandhi's absence comes amid the rising animosity among the party leaders in Punjab. The BJP is also planning to conduct election rallies in Punjab starting from January 5, according to media reports. As per reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to head the campaigns in Punjab. Delay in election campaigns can also impact the vote bank of Congress in the state.
The 2022 Assembly elections are due in five states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur and the final dates are expected to be announced by mid-January.
