New Delhi/Lucknow: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who has been on leave for “introspection” for the past one month, is expected to return on March 27. This was indicated by informed sources in the party here on Monday.

The Gandhi-Nehru scion, who had skipped the first part of the Budget Session of Parliament, which began on February 23, missed two marches led by party chief Sonia Gandhi. The first one was the solidarity march taken to the residence of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when the CBI special court made him an accused in the coal scam case. And the second one was against the controversial land bill. Mrs Gandhi led the march of over a dozen political parties to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The two incidents have shown that Mrs Gandhi alone can rejuvenate the Congress after the humiliating defeats in the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly polls. She has been comfortable with non BJP-parties, which can work with her against the BJP inside and outside Parliament.

The Congress had officially announced Mr Rahul Gandhi’s sabbatical on February 23, saying he had gone on leave for “introspection”. And later said the leave was for two weeks. Although the party is tight-lipped on where he is introspecting, it had made it clear that the recent appointments of PCC chiefs had his stamp, suggesting he is in touch with the party.

If insiders are to be believed, the Congress’ stiff opposition to the two bills — mines and minerals and coal — was due to Mr Gandhi. In his absence, the Congress united the Opposition and broke the ruling NDA on the land bill and succeeded in creating a perception that the bill is anti-farmer and pro-corporate.