Sonia to address rally in Bihar, Rahul to give it a miss

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address a first joint rally of the grand "secular" alliance in Bihar tomorrow though Rahul is likely to give it a miss.
"We have received programme schedule of Sonia Gandhi for Swabhiman rally tomorrow," state Congress chief Ashok Choudhary told reporters today.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad are organising the rally at Patna's historic Gandhi maidan in an apparent move to project a united face of the alliance.
Choudhary said Gandhi would arrive here in the afternoon and straightway proceed to the venue and return to Delhi after addressing the rally.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad and party general secretary and in-charge of Bihar affairs C P Joshi will also be there.
Asked if Rahul Gandhi would be accompanying his mother, the PCC chief said he would visit Bihar later for canvassing and hold roadshows.

To a question if Rahul did not want to share platform with Lalu Prasad, Choudhary said, "Who would go where is decided by the party high command. Moreover, when Congress' supreme leader herself is coming, the question of who else is coming is irrelevant."
Also, there is no clarity over the participation of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in the event.

More than 1.5 lakh party workers would join supporters of JD(U) and RJD in the rally, he said.
Congress will contest on 40 seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled to take place in September-October. JD(U) and RJD will fight on 100 seats each and remaining three will be contested by NCP.
Chaudhary also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "auctioning the respect of Bihar" while announcing a Rs 1.25 lakh crore special package and said the UPA had given Rs 2 lakh crore to the state but never did a propaganda.