Sonia to visit TN every month for LS poll

Chennai, Aug 27 (UNI) Congress president Sonia Gandhi would visit Tamil Nadu once in a month to address rallies in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, due early next year, TNCC president K V Thangkabalu said today.

Talking to newspersons here, he said Ms Gandhi would culminate her rallies in the state, by addressing a 'massive' rally in the city before the elections.

Ms Gandhi, who began the exercise by addressing a farmers rally at Karaikudi in Sivaganga District last month, would address a public meeting at Erode on September 4 as part of meeting the people in the western districts of the state, he said.

The Congress leader would address similar meetings in Tiruchirapalli, Madurai and Tirunelveli as part of the strategy designed to prepare the party for the coming Lok sabha elections, he said.

Mr Thangkabalu said Ms Gandhi, after addressing the public meeting in Erode, would come down to the city to take part in the 150th anniversary of Madras University along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September 5.

The Congress leader and Dr Singh would be conferred honorary doctorate by the Madras University in the convocation ceremony, he said.

After Ms Gandhi and Dr Singh would fly to Salem on the same day to lay the foundation stone for the Rs 1,750 crore Integrated Expansion Project at Salem Steel Plant. They would leave for Delhi the same night from Salem, he said.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Steel Ram Vilas Paswan and all Union Ministers from Tamil Nadu would take part in the function, he said.

Mr Thangkabalu was optimistic that the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) would stay in the DMK-led alliance for the Lok Sabha elections.

PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss had made it clear that the party's alliance with the Congress would continue for the Lok Sabha elections, the TNCC President pointed out.

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