Sonia holds strategy meet with Congress leaders

New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) With politics hotting up over the draft of the 2G Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report before the second half of parliament's budget session starting April 22, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi Friday reviewed the party's strategy with leaders, said party sources.

According to Congress sources, Gandhi reviewed the political situation with senior leaders. They included Home Minister and leader of the Lok Sabha Sushilkumar Shinde, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel.

Political waters were further muddied Friday after former telecom minister A. Raja claimed everything was done in "consultation" with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a day after the draft report of the JPC on 2G spectrum blamed him but cleared Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram of any wrongdoing.

The government also faced flak recently over the alleged toning down by Law Minister Ashwani Kumar of a Central Bureau of Investigation CBI) report on the faulty allocation of coal blocks.

The opposition is likely to disrupt parliament over both the issues.

The Congress leadership is also keen to ensure a smooth passage of the finance bill, besides key legislations like the food security bill, land acquisition bill and the Lokpal bill, said party sources.