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January 2, 1998

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Will Madam contest from Amethi?

Sonia Gandhi is 'actively considering' the Congress proposal that she contest the Lok Sabha election from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh Congress president N D Tiwari said on Friday.

"She has not turned down the proposal when I met her four days ago," Tiwari said.

The Sultanpur and Rae Bareli district committees had proposed to field Sonia from Amethi and daughter Priyanka from Rae Bareli.

"Both the proposals have been conveyed to her," the leader said, "An early decision is expected."

Asked to define a time frame for it, Tiwari said Sonia's plans should be clear 'in a week or so.'

Meanwhile, a meeting of district and city Congress presidents held in Lucknow under Tiwari's presidentship adopted a resolution demanding that Sonia contest the Amethi seat, which was earlier represented by her late husband Rajiv Gandhi. The resolution also desired that she launch her election campaign from Uttar Pradesh.

The resolution said all Congressmen believed that secular and nationalist forces have been strengthened following Sonia's decision to campaign for Congress.

The UPCC president said the All India Congress Committee was chalking out her election programme.

Tiwari claimed that following Sonia's announcement, old Congressmen had started coming back to the party at the district and state committee levels.

The Congress,Tiwari said, would contest all 85 seats in the state, but added this decision would not be a hindrance if the party thought fit to forge any last minute alliance.

"Decisions about alliances will be taken by the central leadership," the leader clarified.

UNI

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