New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS): As Congress circles hint at the imminent return of party president Sonia Gandhi, who is recuperating abroad from an undisclosed illness, party leaders recall the past month as a "period of immense pain and anxiety in their political and personal lives". Even the opposition party leaders say they missed their rival.

"It had been a painful month for me and my family," said Nazir Bhat, general secretary of Kashmir Congress committee.

"At our gathering for the 'iftar' (daily breaking of the fast) during the just completed month of Ramzan, we prayed for her health," Bhat told IANS over telephone from Srinagar.

According to Bhat, Sonia is quite popular among ordinary Kashmiris. "She has revived the link of the Nehru family, which has its roots in Kashmir," he said.

Recalling how his father, freedom fighter Ali Muhammed Bhat, had interacted with Indira Gandhi and admired Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhat said: "We consider Sonia as one of us. We are awaiting for her return." Sonia underwent surgery abroad in the first week of August for an undisclosed ailment.

Ranji Thomas, New Delhi-based party leader, said: "It is no exaggeration, I felt like my mother is unwell and away. Many of us in the Congress felt the same way."

"We, all family members, have been joining for a daily prayer for Soniaji. Sometimes, we concluded it with tears," he said.

Thomas said that the one month Sonia Gandhi was away reminded him of the plurality of the country as described in Nehru's words: "India's unity in diversity."

"When I, who come from Kerala and my wife, who belongs to Nagaland, along with our two-year-old daughter joined in prayers, we never felt we were praying for someone born in distant Italy."

Mohan Prakash, special invitee to the Congress working committee, said the frequent question he had to answer was about the illness of Gandhi. "I got a feeling, not only the leaders and workers of Congress, the entire nation is missing Soniaji," he told IANS.

Rivals also feel Sonia's absence has been felt in the political field.

Nirmala Sitharaman, spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told IANS: "As the principal opposition party, we hold strong views that the Congress is directionless - with or without Sonia Gandhi."

"But we wish her good health. So that, she as the elected-president of Congress and the leader of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is able to discharge her duties. Like most others, I was surprised by the news of her illness."

Javed Raza, general secretary of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), said: "The political theatre misses her as she has been occupying the centre-stage for a few years."

"She may be our rival, but we all are anxious after the news of illness," he told IANS.

Rukma Dutta, a Delhi-based television journalist, feels that the media misses Gandhi.

"The secrecy about her illness may be annoying us as professionals. But she is one leader who has showed her social sensitivity by pioneering the rural employment law (MN NREGA), and now the Food Security bill."

"So, we await whether Sonia Gandhi would be able to continue to pursue her favourite legislations and schemes," Dutta said.

Before she left Aug 4, Sonia Gandhi had formed a four-member group, including son and general secretary Rahul Gandhi, to look after party matters in her absence. The others are Defence Minister A.K. Antony, her political secretary Ahmed Patel and party chief spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi himself.