Rahul returns; party sings praises

Ending his mysterious 56-day foreign sojourn, Rahul Gandhi returned home today with the Congress party hailing him as a "mature" leader who would magically restore the party's health, notwithstanding the voices within questioning his leadership abilities.
The Gandhi scion flew in here in the morning from Bangkok although his itinerary since his sudden decision to go on a sabbatical in February remained a source of speculation.
He did not say a word to the large media contingent parked outside his residence, inside which his mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka were waiting with warm hugs.
There was some expected drum beating and bursting of crackers outside his government bungalow before party spokespersons were fielded to sing paeans to the Congress Vice President.

Rahul had gone abroad for "introspection" and not for vacation, said party's Chief Spokesman Randeep Surjewala, who made it clear that he was not "entering into the speculation of (Rahul's) physical location" during his sojourn.
Even as rival BJP sniggered that Rahul had "run away", Surjewala termed him as a "mature and charismatic" leader who would bring back the Congress party's "inherent strength".
Questions have been raised about Rahul's leadership abilities in recent days within the Congress, notably by two former Chief Ministers, Amrinder Singh of Punjab and Sheila Dikshit of Delhi. Others have conveyed similar sentiments by demanding that Sonia Gandhi should continue to lead the party.

Three days from now, Rahul will be on a big public stage when he addresses a farmers rally here against the Modi government's land acquisition ordinance, an issue over which Sonia Gandhi has rallied the opposition parties in his absence.