Thursday, May 11 2006 13:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The 10, Janpath residence of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, broke into cheers and honks as television channels beamed out news of a comfortable majority for their party leader in the Rae Bareli bypolls.

Party MPs also filed into the crowds, cracking jokes and giving takes to TV crew.

Party activists and Gandhi's well wishers flapped hands, shouting 'long live Sonia' slogans as results poured in from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, giving their leader a massive lead ahead of her rivals in the May 8 bye elections.

Mounted on an open-top Gypsy, Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, swamped by hundreds of supporters, led the crowd celebrating Gandhi's near-certain victory in the re-eletions she had fought after stepping down as LS member over the office-of-profit controversy.

Carrying party flags in their hands, supporters marched from one end of the Akbar Road to the other, cheering and clapping ecstatically. A group of women supporters energised the 10, Janpath surroundings, as they sung and danced to celebrate their leaders' performance in Rae Bareli polls.

A look-alike of PM Manmohan Singh stood beside Sajjan Kumar on the Gypsy waving to the crowd in his baby blue turban.

Drum beats thudded through the street and music blared from the microphones as more and more people poured in.