Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will file her nomination papers from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh April 2, Congress leaders said Friday. Seeking another term from the family stronghold, Sonia is scheduled to fly to Lucknow earlier in the day and then drive to her parliamentary constituency.

 

 She will stop at the party office where she will perform a "yagna" to propitiate the gods.  Thereafter, she will proceed to the collectorate to file her nomination papers before the district magistrate, also the returning officer. 

 

 Sources close to the Congress leader informed IANS that Sonia would be accompanied by her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

 

 The 67-year-old widow of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi has been a member of parliament from Rae Bareli since 2004 and is now seeking a straight third term for herself.   She represented neighbouring Amethi between 1999 and 2004, a seat she vacated for her son Rahul, currently the incumbent MP from there.