Sonia extended warm welcome on arrival in Chennai

Chennai, Sep 4 (UNI) Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived here tonight from Coimbatore by a special aircraft as part of her two-day visit to Tamil Nadu.

She was received at the airport by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, his daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, AICC spokesperson Ms Jayanthi Natarajan, AICC Secretary Arunkumar-in charge of Tamil Nadu affairs and senior Tamil Nadu Congress leader Kumari Anandan.

Some cabinet colleagues of Mr Karunanidhi, including senior ministers Duraimurugan and K Ponmudi were also present.

She proceeded to Raj Bhavan from the airport for overnight stay.

At a function in the city tomorrow, Ms Gandhi would be conferred the Honorary Doctorate by the Madras University on the occasion of its sequicentennial celebrations, along with Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Karunanidhi.

Later, she would leave for Salem along with Dr Singh who will arrive here at 1015 hrs tomorrow for launching the Salem Steel Plant expansion programme.

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