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Sonia's second lap of campaign from tomorrow

Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's widow Sonia will undertake the second lap of her campaign from January 20, covering seven states in three days.

Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also the party's campaign committee convenor, told the media that Sonia will cover Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Assam, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat during this tour.

Sonia's daughter Priyanka will accompany her to Bhilai, Madhya Pradesh, tomorrow.

MP Congress unit general secretary and state party spokesman Manak Agrawal said Sonia would arrive at Raipur at 1100 hours and proceed to Bhilai by a helicopter.

The ruling Congress's election campaign in the state, which began from tribal Jhabua constituency on January 12, is expected to gain momentum with Sonia's public meeting, her first in the state.

State Chief Minister Digvijay Singh and state Congress president Urmila Singh already reached Bhilai to oversee the arrangements for the meeting.

Sonia will reach Bhubaneshwar by tomorrow afternoon.

Sonia and Congress president Sitaram Kesri will address a joint public meeting at Ranchi in Bihar on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, she is scheduled to address a rally at Guwahati in Assam.

The star Congress campaigner will address a party rally at Jodhpur in Rajasthan on January 23 morning and later at Nandurbar tribal region in Dhulia district of Maharashtra. On the same day, she will address another meeting at Bardoli, near Surat in Gujarat, from where Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had launched his Kissan Andolan.

Replying to a question, Azad said the third lap of the tour will be announced later.

UNI

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