Rae Bareli: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday filed her nomination papers as a candidate from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat. She was accompanied by her son, party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, and close family friend Satish Sharma.

Sonia Gandhi reached the office of the returning officer at around 12.20 p.m. She was there for about 10 minutes and filed four sets of nomination papers for the poll that is scheduled for April 30 here.

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Earlier in the day, the Congress chief had flown from New Delhi to the airstrip at Fursatganj, about 15 km from Rae Bareli. From there, she travelled in a silver Tata Safari.

Sonia Gandhi's cavalcade passed through the most thickly populated parts of the town, and was greeted with showers of rose petals and loud cheers from supporters who had lined up along the streets.

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Dressed in a beige saree with a red and green print, the Congress leader first visited the party's central office, where a havan was performed - a ritual held every time she files her nomination. She then went to file her nomination.

On her way to Lucknow, Sonia Gandhi will stop at Takia and pray at the tomb of Maulana Ali Mian, who was president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and rector of the internationally known Islamic university Nadwat Ulema Darul ul Uloom.

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