Sonia Gandhi sets an example, flies economy class to Mumbai

September 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi/Mumbai, Sep.14 (ANI): Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday flew by economy class to Mumbai to attend a rally of party workers and also to hold discussions with the leadership of the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Gandhi’s decision to fly economy class followed a similar act by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and an announcement by External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna that he would be undertaking official trips to Belarus and Turkmenistan.

He has also decided to cut down his delegation from 20 to two members for the trip.

Krishna further said that he would not travel first class in commercial airliners during his official trips.

The decision to fly economy class comes in the wake of Mukherjee’s appeal for a need for ministers and lawmakers to observe austerity in their lifestyle and official functions as the country is facing a crisis caused by drought. (ANI)

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Congress to contest 26 seats, NCP 22 in Maharashtra

March 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Mar 21 (ANI): Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has finalised the seat-sharing arrangement in Maharashtra for upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) media department chief M. Veerappa Moily said that the Congress would contest 26 seats while the Sharad Pawar-led NCP would try its luck in 22 parliamentary constituencies.

The number of seats Congress will contest has come down since the 2004 elections. It fielded candidates in 27 constituencies while the NCP could do so only in 18 constituencies. (ANI)

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