Sonia, Rahul take a bus ride to Surajkund!

In an apparent move to send out a message of austerity, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul on Friday took a bus ride along with other leaders to Surajkund in Haryana, where the party is going to hold a brainstorming session.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will not go to Surajkund by bus due to security reasons.

Union ministers and top Congress leaders will attend the brainstorming session which comes at a time when the party and the government are facing tough challenges on political and economic fronts.

The day-long "dialogue session" is likely to chalk out the strategy ahead. It may also take a view on the issue of alliances in different states.

The Congress has utilised bus rides by local leaders to project a picture of unity and to connect with the common man during state elections in the past.

Party sources said that the dialogue meeting (samvad baithak) will virtually set the agenda for the larger brainstorming session at the chintan shivir, which is likely to be organised in January next year.

The dialogue session comes after the public meeting on November 4, which saw Sonia and Rahul strongly backing the economic reform measures initiated by the prime minister.

The session will discuss three topics – the present political situation, economic challenges and status of implementation of the 2009 party manifesto.

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul travelled in the same bus. They were accompanied by senior party leaders Ahmed Patel and Ambika Soni.

Union inisters including A K Antony, P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Ghulam Nabi Azad and C P Joshi were also in the same bus.