Vice presidential poll: Mayawati, Mulayam attend Sonia Gandhi's lunch

New Delhi: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday hosted a lunch for MPs of the ruling alliance and supporting parties on Monday, a day ahead of the vice presidential election.

While Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh Yadav was seen sharing the table with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his rival Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati sat next to Sonia during the lunch. Many saw it as an indicator of the changing political equations at the Centre.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad was also present at the lunch. He along with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan and National Congress Party (NCP) senior leader Tariq Anwar also sat with the Prime Minister.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi also came for the lunch and was seen with new Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and senior Cabinet Minister Gulam Nabi Azad and AK Antony.

Congress MP Supriya Sule and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah also sat with Sonia during the lunch.

Trinamool Congress MPs also attended the lunch. In a surprising move, party chief Mamata Banerjee directed her party MPs to be present at the lunch in New Delhi.

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