Concerned over party's poor performance in Gujarat and Rajasthan, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has decided to rope in party's working committee members to help prepare for a string of assembly elections scheduled next year.
Sonia will nominate at least two Congress Working Committee members each for the nine states going to the polls next year to assist the AICC general secretaries in charge of the respective state, party sources said.
While four states -- Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland -- go to the polls early next year, five more -- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Chhatisgarh and Haryana would have elections in the second half of 1993.
A four-member committee headed by All India Congress Committee general secreatry Ambika Soni has already been set up for Rajasthan. Pranab Mukherjee and Ghulam Nabi Azad are members of this committee.
The party lost three crucial byelections in Rajasthan recently. The panel is likely to visit Rajasthan next week mainly to assess the state leadership's preparedness for the election.
A number of party leaders from the state have impressed upon the high command the need to change the leadership in the state.
In Himachal Pradesh, AICC general secreatry Mohsina Kidwai would be assisted by two senior leaders. Similar panels for other states would also be announced shortly.
The ten-member AICC strategy committee headed by former finance minister Manmohan singh met last week in Delhi.
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