Wednesday, April 12 2006 16:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who quit the Lok Sabha in the wake of the row over office of profit, appears to be taking abundant precaution to ensure she faces no legal challenge when she files her nomination in Rae Bareli Lok Sabha bye election, the formal process for which begins tomorrow (Apr 13, 2006).

Two of her personal staff, Additional Private Secretary S V Pillai and Officer on Special Duty Madhavan, who had been with the Gandhi household since the days of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, were asked to go on leave and sent back to Home Ministry and PMO respectively where they belong.

Party sources said the two have been reverted to the Government since Gandhi was no longer the Chairperson of National Advisory Council, a Cabinet-rank post that entitled her to government secretarial staff.

Gandhi's latest decision on the personal staff coming on top of her decision to quit as head of various Trusts is seen as a precautionary step to keep herself out of harm's way in her bid to get reelected from Rae Bareli, where contesting candidates could pose legal challenge.

Ahead of the bye election, Gandhi has already resigned from socio-cultural institutions including those connected with the Nehru-Gandhi family which have also been receiving government funding.

She has stepped down as Chairperson of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust and Jawhar Bhavan Trust and Jalianwala bagh National Trust.

Facing a disqualification petition, Gandhi resigned from the Lok Sabha and NAC Chaipersonship last month at the height of the controversy over office of profit, an issue that unseated Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan from Raj Sabha.