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Sonia may travel to Gujarat once again

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

The Congress leadership has asked its Gujarat unit to find out if it would be worthwhile for the party chief Sonia Gandhi to make a short trip to the state.

The focus of the visit would be to gauge the extent of communal divide in the violence-ravaged state and to ascertain what kind of impact it could have on the party's electoral prospects.

When contacted, chief spokesman of the party, S Jaipal Reddy, however, denied knowledge of any such move.

"I am not aware [of any such development]. Our party unit in Gujarat is alert to the situation. Whether Mrs Sonia Gandhi will visit the state is for her to decide," he told rediff.com.

Party sources said that with reports of the Bharatiya Janata Party trying to consolidate its Hindu vote bank in the wake of the Gujarat riots, the Congress is becoming anxious about its own position in the state.

Amarsinh Chaudhary, who heads the party in Gujarat, has been asked to send a feasibility report to the high command.

"The party leadership is aware that our 'oust Modi' campaign will receive a major boost if she [Sonia] goes to Gujarat," party sources said.

All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Gujarat, Kamal Nath, pointed out that "in the days to come, the Congress will go all out to seek Modi's ouster. His shameless clinging to the chief minister's chair despite widespread disenchantment with his government is a measure of the BJP leaders' lust for office."

Asked whether Sonia would be visiting Gujarat in the near future, he said: "The decision is yet to be taken."

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