Sonia says Modi not ''invincible''

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday said that prime minister Narendra Modi was not ''invincible'' and referred to the defeat of the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2004 Lok Sabha polls despite the 'India Shining' perception.

''Modi is not invincible...he can be defeated and we will defeat him...a similar perception (Modi cannot be defeated) had been created in 2004....some felt that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was unbeatable but we defeated him,'' Sonia said in reply to a query during an informal chat with reporters after filing her nomination papers from Raebareli LS seat.

Sonia's son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who accompanied her, said that Modi was a ''arrogant'' leader.

''Every arrogant leader feels that he can not be defeated but he also loses,'' Rahul said.

Earlier Sonia performed a 'puja' with her family members, including her grandchildren, before proceeding to file her nomination papers. She also held a massive roadshow in her traditional bastion.

Thousands of Congress workers carrying party flags were marched behind Sonia, who waved at the crowds standing atop a specially designed vehicle.

Flower petals were showered on the Congress president from the houses as she passed by different localities in the town, about 80 kilometres from the state capital.

Waving of blue flags by the Congress workers was the centre of attention in the roadshow. These blue flags carried the grand old party's 'Nyaya' scheme slogan 'garibi par war, 72 hazar' (attack on poverty with rs. 72 thousand).

Sonia has won from Raebareli five times. In 2014 she had defeated BJP candidate by over three lakh votes. This time BJP has fielded her one-time aide Dinesh Pratap Singh.

The SP-BSP-RLD alliance has left the Raebareli seat for the Congress and there was going to be a straight fight between Congress and BJP there. Voting in Raebareli would be held on May 6.