Drums, dancing and sycophancy on Sonia birthday (LEAD)

Dec 9, 2006, 11:15 GMT

New Delhi, Dec 9 (IANS) It was the most important birthday bash of the year for Congressmen as they celebrated party chief Sonia Gandhi's birthday Saturday with singing, dancing, distribution of sweets and throaty slogan-raising in front of her residence here.

For Gandhi, who turned 60, the birthday was rendered sweeter with her party's victory in five of the 11 assembly bye-elections. Congress leaders described it as a 'birthday gift' for their president.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who shares a close rapport with Sonia Gandhi, was among the first to visit the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson's 10 Janpath residence to greet her.

Accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur, Manmohan Singh presented a bouquet, a handcrafted memento containing an essay on Sonia Gandhi's political career and letters from former prime ministers. He draped a shawl around her shoulders.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A.K Antony, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Congress chief ministers Shiela Dikshit (Delhi), Ghulam Nabi Azad (Jammu and Kashmir), Amarinder Singh (Punjab) and Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Haryana) were also among those who visited her.

A smiling Gandhi, who was in a pink-coloured silk saree and a black coat, received sweets and flowers - some of them came with greetings messages and poems - from the party men, who arrived from different parts of the country.

She was seen happily posing for photos with some of them.

Outside her residence, Congress activists created a virtual festive atmosphere with loud drum beatings, music, bursting of firecrackers, slogan shouting and dancing. They also waved party flags and banners greeting Gandhi.

Congress Seva Dal volunteers presented 60 saplings to Gandhi that will be given to the various state party units presidents for planting in their states.

Large and colourful pictures of a smiling Gandhi were inserted in all major dailies - Hindi, English and regional languages by Congressmen to show their loyalty.

Senior leaders including ministers, MPs, legislators and state unit chiefs lined up in front of her residence with huge bouquets even as other party men from different parts of the country, who have landed in national capital just to celebrate their leader's birthday, were dancing and distributing sweets outside.

Many party MPs, who otherwise leave for their home constituency at the weekends, stayed back to greet Gandhi.

Apart from the central Congress party, Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation G.K. Vasan, Tamil Nadu state chief M.Krishnaswami, Karnataka chief M. Mallikarjun Kharge, Haryana minister Birender Singh and Delhi unit placed separate advertisements in newspapers extolling her virtues.

Another Congress veteran from Tamil Nadu, Era Anbarasu, and his son Arul Anbarasu, a state legislator, went to the extent of releasing a CD containing seven songs written by Anbarasu himself on the tunes of popular Bollywood music.

According to Anmbarasu, the songs in the CD, which was released at party headquarters here, could 'extensively' be used for Congress party's election campaign in future. 'We have successfully used artistes, drama and music to gather votes in south. The party can use this in Uttar Pradesh elections,' Anbarasu told IANS.

The Mahila Congress unit in Delhi distributed sewing machines to poor women. The Madhya Pradesh unit collected blankets and sweets for the poor in slums. 'Each district unit has been asked to distribute blankets and sweets to the slum dwellers,' Madhya Pradesh Mahila Congress chief Shobha Oza said.

The Congress chief was born in the town of Orbassano, Italy in 1946 and married former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1968. Although initially reluctant to join politics, she became party president in 1998.

In previous years, Gandhi had given strict instructions to her party colleagues that she did not want any celebrations on her birthday. She had also written to all senior leaders that she would not accept any birthday gifts.

© 2006 Indo-Asian News Service