Sonia to file nomination from Rae Bareli today

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi will file her nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Rae Bareli constituency on Monday.

Sonia will be accompanied by son and MP from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi. Before filing up her papers, she will offer prayers at a temple in Rae Bareli.

"All members of Nehru-Gandhi family come here to pray. Sonia will come here before filing her nomination," confirmed Congress' Jay Prasad Shukla.

The Congress president kicked off the party's election campaign on Sunday by addressing three rallies in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Later in the day, Sonia will be campaigning for NCP candidate Praful Patel at Lakhni in Bhandara Gondia, MRCC President Manikrao Thakre said.

She will also be campaigning for Congress candidates Naresh Pugalia in Chandrapur, Haribhau Rathod at Washim in Yavatmal and Mukul Wasnik at Kamptee in Ramtek.

The Congress president will also visit the four Maharashtra constituencies which will go the polls during the first phase of elections on April 16.

She will then go to Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday for a whirlwind tour of the state to campaign for party candidates in the Lok Sabha and state Assembly polls.

"Sonia Gandhi will visit our state on April 7 and address the public meetings at Karimnagar, Bhuvangiri and Vijaynagar districts," Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy told reporters at Ithavaram village in Krishna district.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will also visit the state before the second phase of elections, he said.

Reddy claimed that the Congress will bag around 230 seats in the upcoming assembly elections, including 80 seats out of 119 in Telangana.