Back from US, Sonia may attend Parliament

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is expected to attend Parliament on Monday, the first time since the Monsoon session started.

She has returned from the United States after a nearly two-week stay there to attend to her ailing mother Paola Maino, party sources said.

The UPA chairperson had left for the US before the monsoon session of Parliament, which commenced on July 26. Her son and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, too, had gone along with

her but returned a week back.

The party has been keenly awaiting Sonia's return since it has to finalise its stand on issues like inclusion of caste in the Census.

A meeting of the Congress working committee is also to be called soon to decide on the schedule for the election of the Congress president.

The Congress Core Group, which comprises the party's top brass, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, did not meet on Friday last week in the absence of Gandhi.