On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi, the former Congress president and Wayanad Lok Sabha MP departed the nation for an overseas trip. The Congress party revealed that Gandhi took a trip today and will be returning to India by Sunday, July 17. However, it was unclear if the Congress leader was on a personal or official vacation when he left. The destination was likewise unknown at the time.
According to the reports, Gandhi boarded the trip at a crucial time when the grand old party is facing a probable split in its Goa section. While taking action against politicians engaging in anti-party actions, the Goa Congress unit ousted Michael Lobo from his post as the state’s opposition leader on Sunday.
Rahul Gandhi has gone abroad today, he will be back on Sunday, July 17: Congress sources
— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2022
Also, Congress President Sonia Gandhi urged Mukul Wasnik, a party legislator, to travel to the coastal state and see the changes. As usual, the Congress has blamed the BJP for it. The BJP has denied any role in the situation while asserting that Congress is in charge of selecting its MLAs.
Reportedly, this is not the first time that Gandhi has left the party alone to address the issues. Earlier in May, an undated video of the Wayand MP partying with a woman in a Kathmandu nightclub had gone viral. Netizens had taken severe potshots at Gandhi for partying abroad while leaving Congress in a state of crisis. After also BJP’s criticism, the Congress had responded saying that Rahul had travelled to Nepal to attend the wedding of a friend.
Noiiice 😎 pic.twitter.com/jTvUyVuE7A
— Ajit Datta (@ajitdatta) May 3, 2022
In April 2022, after poll strategist Prashant Kishor had rejected Congress’ offer to join the party, Rahul Gandhi had become untraceable again. Reports mentioned that Gandhi had gone missing for over 10 days and had gone unreachable, leaving the party to act alone in action during the crisis.
Earlier in December 2021, the Wayanad MP had gone for a personal trip to Italy ahead of the campaigns and rallies for then-upcoming Assembly elections in five states scheduled for 2022. He had forced the party to postpone his already scheduled rally in Punjab and had flown to Italy for a ‘personal visit’.
Rahul Gandhi is on a brief personal visit. BJP and its media friends should not spread rumors unnecessarily: Congress leader Randeep Surjewala to ANI on reports of Rahul Gandhi traveling abroad
— ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2021
(file photo) pic.twitter.com/qVYpnMnuEu
Since the BJP took government in 2014, Congress has been troubled by Rahul Gandhi’s frequent absence from the state on significant occasions, making it nearly impossible for it to perform as the primary opposition party in an efficient manner.
The party leadership desperately tries to project Rahul Gandhi as the face of the party and files timely requests from its members formally requesting Rahul Gandhi to become the Congress president. However, the Congress prince has not shown any interest in taking up the party president position since he quit the post in 2019.
Just before Diwali 2021, Rahul Gandhi vanished again, reportedly to London. On November 5, it was reported that Gandhi was on a ‘long vacation’. He returned after almost a month, just before the winter session commenced in the Parliament. At that time, BJP took a dig at Gandhi and questioned his trip to London.
In September 2021, while the Congress party in Punjab was facing a crisis with Amarinder Singh’s resignation, the Gandhi family was vacationing in Shimla.
Gandhi is often seen as a full-time traveller than a politician. In December 2020, he left for Italy on the 136th foundation day of his party. His party leaders could not settle on one explanation and further made themselves a target of media questions. In October 2019, fifteen days before the assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, Gandhi had left, reportedly for Bangkok.
Interestingly, Gandhi also has a history of skipping important party events. In November 2019, Congress had planned as many as 35 press conferences across the country against union govt’s policies, but Gandhi, who allegedly gave directions for the press conferences, skipped them himself.
R Surjewala,Congress: Rahul Gandhi has gone in the past from time to time on a meditational visit, on which he is currently there, this entire programme (35 PCs from 1-8 Nov against Central govt over economic situation) was drafted as per his direction & in consultation with him. pic.twitter.com/5Y4bK2XjCB
— ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2019
In May 2019, before the counting of votes of the parliamentary elections, Rahul Gandhi skipped an important meeting held by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in which they had planned to decide on a PM candidate and flew to London for a holiday. From missing out on budget sessions in 2018 to vanishing from trips to Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam in 2015, the Congress leader seems more interested in travelling than showing support to his party. Not to forget, he had a history of skipping SPG security for his abroad visits.
It is notable here that Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits are always shrouded in mystery. He never shares the news of travelling abroad in the media or never even shares pictures from his numerous foreign trips. In his current visit, Rahul Gandhi has flown to some unknown place and will be returning on July 17. Gandhi’s foreign visit also comes ahead of the Parliament’s Monsoon Session that is scheduled to begin on July 18. The Presidential Election will also be held on Monday, with counting slated to happen on July 21.
