Rahul will be back ‘soon’: Sonia

Congress chief visits farmers who have been affected by unseasonal rains and hailstorm and also families who lost their members in the Bachrawan train accident.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi consoles a woman while meeting farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains in Rae Bareli on Saturday.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said Rahul Gandhi, who is on a sabbatical for over a month to do “chintan” for the party’s revival, would be back “very soon.”

“When Rahul will come back, and he will be back very soon, then he will also come [to Amethi],” Ms. Gandhi told journalists when asked about the return of the party vice-president.

Ms. Gandhi, who was on a day-long visit to Rae Bareli and Amethi said: “I am here and I am here on behalf of Rahul and Priyanka. We are family. It doesn’t matter if it is Amethi or Rae Bareli, both are our constituencies. I used to work here, so it feels like home.”

It is for the first time that Ms. Gandhi has publically spoken about Mr. Rahul’s return since he went on “leave” on February 22.

Ms. Gandhi, who was repeatedly asked by villagers about the whereabouts of Mr. Rahul, however did not specify the exact timing of his return. Villagers of Amethi complained to the Congress president about the problems they were facing and not being able to raise them before Rahul. Notably, “Missing Amethi MP” posters had come up in Amethi last week with villagers pointing towards the promise made by their MP to visit at least once every month.

Mr. Gandhi going on leave at the opening of the monsoon session of Parliament was resented by several senior party leaders. Party sources say with the return of Mr. Rahul, the issue of he becoming the party president would once come to the forefront. He is expected to take a call on the issue after his return.

Assures help to farmers Ms. Gandhi visited farmers who have been affected by unseasonal rains and hailstorm and also families who lost their members in the Bachrawan train accident.

She was apprised of alleged government apathy towards the affected villages and was shown damaged crop of wheat and mustard.

Villagers complained that no official had visited to conduct survey of damaged crops.

Ms. Gandhi said she would take up the matter with the State and Union governments and ensure that proper compensation was provided.