Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a "personal visit" abroad ahead of assembly elections to five states, is likely to return to the country in the second week of January.
The Wayanad MP has gone abroad when electoral preparations in five poll-bound states are in full swing and Congress has a crucial test not only in terms of its ability to contain the BJP but also for the space as the main challenger to the ruling party at the Centre.
Among the poll-bound states, Congress is seen to have better prospects in Punjab and Uttarakhand but the situation has been complicated over a series of decisions over the past few weeks.
Congress is witnessing infighting in both the states and Rahul Gandhi, who takes crucial decisions without a formal senior party position, is being seen as "missing from action".
Political parties are holding meetings to decide their candidates for the polls and the Election Commission is also gearing up to declare the dates for elections.
Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi is likely to return to the country in the second week of January after ringing in New Year abroad.
They said the party leader is in touch with the important party functionaries. Rahul Gandhi flew abroad in the last week of December.
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala had earlier said that Rahul Gandhi is on "a brief personal visit".
"Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its media friends should not spread rumours unnecessarily," he had added.
Rahul Gandhi had also travelled abroad ahead of the winter session of Parliament and is learnt to have returned a day before the commencement of the session.
He had taken the crucial decision in the party in recent days including the appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab Chief Minister and Capt Amarinder Singh resigned while conveying his unhappiness with the party leadership over the way it had handled the organisational affairs in the state.
The crucial meetings concerning Punjab and Uttarakhand have been held at Rahul Gandhi's residence.
While the party's Punjab unit is uneasy over the apparent push by state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu that he be declared chief ministerial candidate, there are tensions in the Uttarakhand unit as well.
In Uttrakhand, a prominent party leader Kishore Upadhyay, who is apparently annoyed with party leader Harish Rawat, went to meet BJP leaders in Dehradun.
Sidhu has also, at times, opened a front against his own government and ministers on social media.
On Tuesday, a group of Punjab leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjindar Singh Randhawa and Transport Minister Raja Warring met party General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal to discuss the matters concerning the state unit.
Congress was seen to have bright prospects in Punjab to retain power some months back but is now facing a stiff challenge.
Not only BJP, but opposition leaders have also taken a dig at Rahul Gandhi's "frequent trips abroad".
Mamata Banerjee, whose party is keen to emerge as the main challenger to BJP, had said taken a swipe at Rahul Gandhi and said no one can do politics by staying abroad "half the time".
AAP is seeking to emerge as a force in several states where Congress has been traditionally strong.
( With inputs from ANI )
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