If Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee intends to take on his principal adversary, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, in her bastion in Amethi on September 30, the Congress president will be repaying the tribute to Vajpayee the same day in his home town of Lucknow.

If the ``foreign-born'' Sonia is the target of the BJP's attack for trying her luck in the electoral arena from Amethi, Vajpayee will be blasted for doing the worst service possible to the nation -- something his adversaries say even a foreigner wouldn't do.

Vajpayee is a seven-time Lok Sabha MP and this is Sonia's maiden effort but the BJP is leaving nothing to chance to ensure her defeat. Sonia Gandhi is equally determined to narrow Vajpayee'svictory margin if not to defeat him from Lucknow by fielding the formidable Karan Singh against him. Sonia will be flying to Lucknow from Delhi on September 30 by a chartered jet and after addressing the rally, is slated to tour other parts of eastern UP and Bihar to canvass for her party's candidates. A big contingent of mediapersons is being invited by the Congress to cover the tour. Similarly, the BJP high command has decided to airlift a media contingent to Amethi by a special aircraft to cover the PM's rally. Since journalists cannot travel with Vajpayee in his aircraft as per the Election Commission's directive, special arrangements are being made in this regard.

A private TV network is contemplating to beam both the events in Amethi as well as in Lucknow as the campaigning will also be coming to an end the very next day.

Significantly, Vajpayee will address two rallies in Lucknow -- one on the night of September 29 and another the next evening to reply to Sonia's charges. The state units of the twomajor political parties are working overtime as this will be their trial of strength.