The Congress’ latest move comes in the backdrop of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) already declaring many of its candidates for the Assembly as well as Lok Sabha elections, triggering a debate in the Congress about the virtues of announcing candidates well in advance. Those in favour of early declaration argue that it gives them enough time to work in the constituency and also to take care of rebellion within the party.

Meanwhile, the Congress High Command is in the process of appointing a new PCC chief in Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh. Siddaramaiah and RV Deshpande are front-runners for the coveted post in Karnataka while Meghalaya PCC chief OL Nongtudu is likely to be replaced, with Congress MLAs recently taking the unprecedented step of passing a resolution for his removal.

Starting in September 2007 when new PCC chiefs were appointed in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, the High Command has changed party presidents in 16 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, J&K, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. In most of these states, Working Presidents were also appointed in an apparent move to balance power equations in the

state unit and to accommodate caste equations. “There is a similar move to carry out an organisational revamp in all cells, departments and frontal organisations both at the Central and state levels. We will face the election as a fresh and re-energised unit,” said a senior Congress leader.