New Delhi: In an apparent dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, ‘sidelined’ Congress leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has reportedly said, “There are question marks over Rahul Gandhi's leadership qualities; Sonia should continue to lead the Congress."

According to reports, Dikshit said that “Sonia does not ‘run away’ from responsibilities and challenges; the Congress can rely on her for its revival.”

Meanwhile, the Congress party is finding it hard to defend a long holiday taken by its Gandhi, and some seniors in the party are questioning whether the scion of the country's most famous family is interested in politics.

Gandhi, a 44-year-old bachelor parliamentarian, took a leave of absence starting in late February, and is now said to be returning to work later this month. There is no word where he might be.

Reports suggest that he is expected to replace his mother as Congress President, a decision that could have huge political repercussions.

His vanishing act has spawned a series of tongue-in-cheek comments about his choice of holiday spot and what he might be doing, and "missing" posters have been pasted on walls in his constituency.

Gandhi's decision to go on a holiday at the start of a parliamentary session, at a time when Congress was attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over land policy, has led to doubts about his commitment to politics.

In February, Congress said Rahul Gandhi needed time off to reflect on electoral defeats and plot the future of the party.