Sonia Not To Attend Rallies Today: Aide

Sonia Gandhi plans to attend no more than the sort of prayer meeting at Sriperumbudur this morning that she has attended each of the past five years to mark the death anniversaries of her late husband, Rajiv Gandhi.

According to one of her aides, she does not plan to attend any rally at Sriperumbudur. A report a few days ago had said she would kick off her political career with a rally at the spot where her husband was assassinated, during the 1991 general elections campaign, on his death anniversary.

Other reports had spoken of plans for about 60 public meetings in different parts of the country over the next few months. Her aide said these reports were totally incorrect. The speculation about her political plans follows the recent announcement of her enrolment as a primary member of the Congress. There is talk of her taking over the reins of the party.

Her aides, however, insist that she has no plans to do so, at least through the current round of organisational polls. The process to elect a Congress president is about to begin and is set to end by June 9.

The fact that she has taken only primary, and not active membership, is a clear indicator that she does not intend to contest for any party post yet.

Some leaders predict vocal demands from the floor of the first plenary of the new AICC for her to take charge.

PV Narasimha Rao had been embarrassed by a chorus of such demands at the Talkatora session of the AICC in mid-1994, when she had unexpectedly turned up during the session. She sat at one side, surrounded by senior women party leaders such as Mohsina Kidwai.