Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday returned from >his trip to Europe and will hold a meeting with Congress leaders on Monday to take stock of the developments during his absence.

Mr. Gandhi, whose foreign trips in the past have led to intense speculation, had announced his trip to Europe on Twitter on December 28, 2015.

“I will be travelling to Europe for a few days. A very Happy New Year to everyone,” he had said.

Congress sources said Mr. Gandhi returned early Sunday morning and will meet with party leaders on Monday.

Mr. Gandhi had been out of the country during New Year on some occasions in the past as well.

His last two trips abroad were much talked about. His 56-day >sabbatical after an AICC session in February 2015 to reflect upon the party’s debacle in Delhi elections and deliberate on a future course for the Congress had led to the BJP taking potshots at him.

There was a political controversy even over his September visit to Aspen, U.S. to attend a conference.

When the >BJP raised questions about the >Congress claim of Mr. Gandhi attending the conference in Aspen, the Congress vice-president’s office had uploaded photographs of the same on Twitter to counter the attack.