Any leader welcome to contest against Sonia in Rae Bareli: Cong

New Delhi, Mar 29: The Congress today (Mar 29, 2006) challenged Opposition parties to field any candidate they liked against Congress President Sonia Gandhi, in the bye-election from Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency, saying it would seek to to demonstrate their strength in the traditional party stronghold.

''The Congress will welcome any leader from any party on an all-India scale, including Uma Bharati, to contest election against Congress President Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli,'' Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told mediapersons here, adding that they ''only have to keep in mind the political history ranging from Mrs Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in elections held in Rae Bareli, Amethi, Medak and Bellary.

''Let the public have one more opportunity to judge who stands in how much water,'' he asserted.

Mr Singhvi was commenting on former BJP leader Uma Bharati giving a call to her former party, as well as others including the ruling Samajwadi Party in UP, to support the candidate she intends to put up against Mrs Gandhi in the Rae Bareli by-election.

UNI