Flutter as Sonia visits fest hosted by Maneka

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 31

Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi today created a flutter by visiting the national festival of organic materials being hosted in the capital by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, a portfolio her sister-in-law Maneka Gandhi handles.

Sonia Gandhi, 71, was photographed by visitors to the event who posted her pictures on social media platforms. The UPA chairperson was seen halting at various stalls, including that of farm products made by Tihar inmates.

The visit created a buzz in political circles around whether the two women had resumed social ties after years of estrangement. Though people close to Maneka Gandhi played down today’s development saying Sonia’s visit was routine and had no political or other overtones, conversations around the 

visit were heard in Congress circles all day.

Last year too, there was speculation on the eve of UP elections about a certain “private meeting” between Sonia Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi followed by buzz around Maneka's son and MP Varun Gandhi possibly joining the Congress. It turned out to be a bubble.

Today again, sources in the ministry said the Women of India National Organic Festival, into its third year, was a much visited event with several dignitaries among 3,000 to 5,000 thronging the venue daily.

It's not possible track who came, said a source when asked if this was Sonia Gandhi's first visit to the festival. It said Sonia Gandhi may have visited earlier but there's no way to know if she did. Sonia is anyway known to visit exhibitions for her penchant for natural and organic products and fabrics.

At a personal level, both sisters-in-law have maintained a safe distance from one another for years though their children are learnt to exchange greetings on occasions. Much was made about two years ago of a chance meeting Maneka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka Vadra had at an airport when the two accidentally crossed each other’s paths. That, it's reliably learnt, was the first time Maneka Gandhi ever met Priyanka's daughter Miraya.