The committee, constituted to identify reasons for the party's defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, has invited all party legislators, MPs and defeated candidates, besides state Congress office-bearers, district presidents and other prominent leaders to meet the members at the AICC headquarters on October 24.

The Congress won 18 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in March 1998, followed by 153 of the 200 seats in the Assembly polls seven months later.

However, the position was reversed within 10 months and the Congress ended up conceding 16 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats and 132 of the 200 Assembly segments to the BJP in the recent polls.

Though everything appears normal on the surface, there is a widespread feeling of unease in the state Congress. The party promise to give OBC status to Jats has boomeranged with the BJP government at theCentre taking a lead in giving the reservation status. The Jats, who have traditionally backed the Congress, is divided with a sizeable chunk having gone over to the BJP.

The 32-member council of ministers comprises the old guard and people with previous ministerial experience while the rest of the legislators are bereft of any office. What is worse, people whose names have lately gained currency for heading various boards and corporations are not MLAs. Maan Singh Deora, chairman of the housing board, was rewarded with the post when he gave up his Assembly seat to make way for Gehlot. The MLAs are obviously not happy with this state of affairs and are keen on being accommodated either in the ministry or as chairmen of boards and corporations.

There is no denying that large-scale transfers, 15 per cent increase in electricity rates, fresh taxes worth Rs 180 crore, the power sector reform programme and a casteist approach towards postings and transfers at the senior bureaucratic level have all taken theirtoll.

The ruling party has quite a few aspirants for the Chief Minister's post who have a vested interest in availing of this opportunity to paint Gehlot black.