Sonia Gandhi shakes a leg with tribal dancers

NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday brought loads of cheer to party members as she joined tribal women in an impromptu dance at a Mahila Congress convention here on 'Empowerment of Tribal Women'.

Having finished her address to the tribal woman delegates at the AICC headquarters, Sonia could not resist matching steps with a troupe of colourfully-attired tribal women as they came to the podium for a dance performance.

Her dance sent a wave of excitement among Mahila Congress leaders who enthusiastically cheered her on. Many party workers were seen capturing the ' Kodak' moment on their mobile phones. The impromptu jig by Sonia comes barely three months after she underwent surgery abroad for an undisclosed medical condition.

She returned to India in September and made her first public appearance - in a slightly frailer avatar - on Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. Of late, however, she is looking fitter and has been actively engaging with government and party leaders, besides attending Parliament regularly.

Sonia's joining the tribal dance on Friday is reminiscent of how her mother-in-law, the late prime minister Indira Gandhi, connected with the tribals by donning their traditional gear and joining in their dance performances.