A Malda sari and a badge made of silk that will be gifted to Sonia. (Amit Datta)

Malda, April 27: Ghani Khan Chowdhury’s siblings may have to choose between lunching with Sonia Gandhi and being next to her at a rally.

The chopper that will fly the Congress president from the rally at Sujapur to the pad built especially for her visit to the late leader’s house in Malda, 25km away, won’t have place for them, the Special Protection Group has said.

Foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee, state Congress president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and the AICC observer for Bengal, Mohsina Kidwai, are certainties on the flight.

Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and Rubi Noor, one the local MP and the other the Sujapur MLA, have only a few hours to decide whether they would be at their Kotwali home or at the rally if the SPG stays firm.

Sonia should not take more than 10 minutes to fly down from Sujapur. Abu Hasem and Ruby could take almost an hour to cover the distance by road. With the guest unlikely to stay for over 15 minutes, the siblings would be too late to receive her by the time they make it back.

“We have told the SPG we have to be at Sujapur because our presence at the party programme is important. And we should also be at home when she arrives to pay her respects to Barkatda and have lunch with us,” said Abu Hasem.

The siblings have lined up a lip-smacking fare for Sonia — bekti wrapped in banana leaves, prawn malai curry, steamed hilsa in mustard sauce and sherbets.

Abu Hasem told Pranab Mukherjee about the dilemma. “He told us to land up at Sujapur,” the Malda MP said.

“If worst comes to worst, we will receive Soniaji at Sujapur as protocol demands and rush home before the meeting begins,” Abu Hasem added.

The district magistrate said Sonia was expected to be in Malda from 11am to 1.30pm.

Correction

The picture accompanying Saturday’s report on Sonia Gandhi’s visit was not of Ghani Khan Chowdhury’s house as mentioned in the caption. We apologise for the mistake.