Sonia holds consultations with colleagues on Reddy

     
A concerned Congress president Sonia Gandhi tonight held consultations with senior party leaders in the wake of the disappearance of a helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Rajasekhar Reddy.

Senior ministers Pranab Mukherjee (Finance) and AK Antony (Defence) as also Political Secretary to the Congress president Ahmed Patel were present at the deliberations.

Mukherjee said "today we are very sad about Rajasekhar Reddy's incident. Till now, there is no trace. I spoke to the Andhra Pradesh finance minister and other senior ministers there. It is very sad".

Gandhi's consultations with the leaders took place shortly after home minister P Chidambaram had a meeting with her.

Law minister M Veerappa Moily and minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan have left for Hyderabad after Gandhi asked them to proceed there in the wake of the incident.

The AICC has described the situation in Andhra Pradesh following the disappearance of the chopper as that of a "crisis".

Gandhi is personally monitoring the situation and has spoken to Reddy's son Jaganmohan, party sources said.