A month after London trip, Rahul Gandhi embarks on another 'personal visit' abroad

New Delhi: With Assembly polls in five key states just months away, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has once again flown abroad on Wednesday morning on "a personal visit", the party said.

"Rahul Gandhi is on a brief personal visit. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its media friends should not spread rumours unnecessarily," Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala told ANI.

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

(file photo) pic.twitter.com/qVYpnMnuEu — ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2021

This comes just days after Gandhi went on a trip abroad ahead of the winter session of Parliament for a whole month. The former Amethi came back just a day before the commencement of the session returned a day before the commencement of the session.

Earlier, the ruling party leaders questioned Rahul Gandhi’s frequent mysterious ‘personal visits, which led to Congress releasing a statement asking the opponents not to spread rumours.

"Rahul Gandhi is on a brief personal visit. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its media friends should not spread rumours unnecessarily," Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala told ANI.

Although, the party has not disclosed the place of visit and the date of his return.

However, this is not the first time Gandhi went on a mysterious trip abroad. From 2015 to 2019 , according to the Modi government, Rahul has travelled abroad at least 247, which amounts to five a month. He had earlier gone to Bangkok before the assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana.

Later, Congress released a statement saying that the former party president went on for a ‘meditational trip.’

Last month, he travelled to London for a month.

However, Rahul`s visit abroad comes at a time when political parties are pacing up their campaigning for the upcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, which are due next year.

Rahul was scheduled to address a party rally in the Moga district of Punjab on January 3 to kick start campaigning in the state, where the party is already in power. However, now it is likely to be postponed.

BJP will begin the poll campaign in Punjab with Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to hold a rally on January 5 in the state, according to party sources.

 This will be the first rally of Prime Minister Modi in Punjab after the repeal of three farm laws. BJP has earlier announced that the party will fight polls in the state in alliance with Captain Amarinder Singh`s Punjab Lok Congress Party.

Meanwhile, according to sources in Congress, the rally in Punjab will not begin till Rahul`s return to the country.

(With agency inputs)