Ahmedabad (PTI): Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who were involved in bitter exchanges during last year's Assembly elections, maintained a clear distance from each other on Monday during a whirlwind visit to hospitals to see the victims of the serial blasts.

The two did not exchange a single word during the entire visit, said the Congress state unit president Siddarth Patel, who accompanied them.

Shortly after her arrival with Prime Minister and Home Minister at the City Civil hospital blast site, Gandhi stood a little away surrounded by Congress leaders as Modi briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the blasts which took place in the hospital premises on Saturday which killed 23 people.

Gujarat Congress Legislature Party leader Shaktisinh Gohil gave a separate briefing to her about the blast at the Civil Hospital. The scene was same at the Vadilal Sarabhai Hospital where both the leaders maintained distance.

While Modi accompanied the Prime Minister in his car, Gandhi travelled in another car accompanied by Congress leaders.

Congress leaders said that Modi briefed the Prime Minister about the blasts but he kept away from Sonia Gandhi.

In the past had made bitter comments about Gandhi's foreign origin and in the last elections, Gandhi had strongly attacked the Chief Minister.

Sonia had travelled to Ahmedabad along with Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to meet the blasts victims.