"India’s voice, Sonia is the choice", Congmen wait

BANGALORE, Dec 6: Big hoardings and banners have sprung up in the city, celebrating the face of the woman whose smile India's Grand Old Par...

BANGALORE, Dec 6: Big hoardings and banners have sprung up in the city, celebrating the face of the woman whose smile India’s Grand Old Party is struggling to decode. Hundreds of school children – wearing T-shirts with Sonia Gandhi’s photograph and the slogan, “India’s voice, Sonia is the choice” printed on them – will line up on either side of the road to greet her. For a state not known for cults and cut-outs, Sonia Gandhi’s visit on Sunday will be an uncommon experience for Karnataka. And a campaign springboard for the Congress.

For once, the sulking Congressmen of the state have shed their differences, and joined hands – no matter if the other hand is that of a friend or foe. Their agenda is clear: Sonia should lead the party to victory in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Therefore, the state unit of the party has decided to accord a grand reception to the widow of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and make a fervent appeal to her to take the reins of the party.

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These frenetic efforts by the state Congressmen to woo Sonia may not have the sanction of the All India Congress Committee mandarins- read Sitaram Kesri – but Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has decided to go all out in their efforts to make Sonia change her mind.

“We feel that Sonia Gandhi is the only person who can save the Congress party at this moment. The party cannot go to people without Sonia and expect good results,” said a senior leader.

Though Sonia has turned down all the invitations from senior Congress leaders to address them or visit the party office, it has neither hampered the enthusiasm of the partymen nor shattered their hopes to woo her. The top leaders, including KPCC president Dharam Singh, will receive her at the airport and follow her motorcade till Raj Bhavan, where she will be staying for the night. Sonia has, however, agreed to meet Congressmen in groups or individually at Raj Bhavan on Monday afternoon before leaving for Delhi.

Unlike her visit last year which went unnoticed, Congressmen this time have been mobilised in large numbers to greet Sonia on the road from the airport to Raj Bhavan with placards carrying provoking slogans. Big hoardings are being put up all along the route besides banners and posters portraying Sonia as the saviour of the nation.

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Thousands of school children will be made to line up on both the sides of road from Raj Bhavan to a nearby hotel which is the venue of a function organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation on Monday morning.

As using school children for such events is against government directions, some school children will be made to visit the Planetarium, near Raj Bhavan. Incidentally’, they will line up to see Sonia passing by. “No one can stop children from seeing the wife of a former prime minister,” explained a Congressmen who was busy organising about 1,000 T-Shirts for the children. “We have plans to print the photo of Sonia Gandhi with a slogan, India’s voice, Sonia is the Choice,” he said.

Congressmen feel that only the Gandhi family can come to the rescue of the party. They feel that the party may not fare well as it has nothing to claim since the last elections. And the last charismatic leader, S Bangarappa, has already left the party. “Though Bangarappa is not liked by many party leaders for his autocratic attitude, his presence in the party would have made a lot of difference. The Congress will definitely miss him during the campaigning,” says a former minister. So, they desperately seek Sonia and wait for her to say yes’ and lead them.