Union Minister Kamal Nath was sought to be projected for the high office sometime back but the AICC has frowned upon such attempts.

AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh who has created a record by being the Chief Minister of the state for 10 long years from 1993 to 2003, has been saying he wanted to continue in national politics.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is also considered a serious contender given his youthful image and the support he enjoys in the Gwalior region.

The leader of the opposition in the MP assembly, Jamuna Devi is a tribal and has been in the political game for too long.

The Thakur-Rajput population in the state is less than 2 per cent, but 39 have made it to the Congress list of candidates for the 230-member House, thanks to their proximity to the Digvijay Singh or Arjun Singh camps.

In contrast, there are only 23 women on the list. Officially, the Congress is committed to granting 33 per cent reservation to women in all legislative bodies. But in practice, it has settled for a modest 10 per cent.

Muslims make up eight per cent of Madhya Pradesh's population, but there are only five nominees from the community on the Congress list for the November 27 polls.

Brahmins have had a better deal, with 30 nominees against a 16 per cent population share.

State Congress chief Suresh Pachauri claimed the choice of candidates was guided solely by the "winnability" criterion. As many as 131 new candidates have been fielded, he said.

The step, aimed at balancing ticket distribution among Congress factions in MP, not only serves to accommodate Mr Pachouri's loyalists but also sends out the signal that he is still in the race for the chief ministerial berth in case the party wins the election.

Mr Pachouri's fortunes were in question after the party put out its first list of 117 candidates last week. That list was dominated by Union commerce minister Kamal Nath and former MP chief minister Digvijay Singh's supporters. However, Mr Pachouri has managed to influence the Congress high command with almost one-fourth of his candidates getting seats.

Congress sources also indicated that Mr Pachouri had reached an understanding over seat distribution with Mr Nath and Mr Jyotiraditya Scindia, strengthening his position within the state unit.

This significant move could serve to bring about an anti-Digvijay Singh and Arjun Singh formation in the state unit ahead of the elections.

Gwalior MP and BJP leader Yashodhara Raje Scindia has sought nomination from the Shivpuri Assembly seat, under the neighbouring Guna parliamentary constituency, for the November 27 polls.

Yashodhara had chosen to shift from Shivpuri to Gwalior, and thus from the Assembly to the Lok Sabha, as recently as March 2007 after the town's Congress MP was disqualified in the "cash-for-query" scam. A state BJP minister said the party was considering Yashodhara's request.

"The royals are known for their whims. In December 2003, Yashodhara was elected from Shivpuri and served as a minister but in 2007 she expressed a desire to move to Delhi. We had to struggle to ensure her victory but now she is again keen to leave Gwalior," he said.

The narrow victory may be a reason why Yashodhara wants to leave, just as another close shave in 1998 had led her late brother, Madhavrao Scindia, to abandon Gwalior for Guna in the 1999 election. The family's supporters blame the dwindling votes on the voters' unrealistically high expectations from the Scindias.

"No one will be projected as the chief ministerial candidate... We are a democratic party and unlike BJP where you have a PM designate and a CM designate," Congress media department chief and Chairman of the MP Screening Committee M Veerappa Moily told reporters here.

Asked whether Union Minister Kamal Nath or former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh will contest the elections, Moily said, "ask them".

When prodded further, he said they had not applied for a party ticket. Moily also refused to reveal whether MPCC chief Suresh Pachauri or Union Minister of State Jyotiraditya Scindia, the other two contenders for the chief minister s post, will contest the Assembly elections.

"Many names will be cleared only at the level of the Central Election Committee. A lot remains to be decided," Moily added.

The Congress leader said that the chief minister will be decided in a democratic manner and would not be imposed like the BJP.

Replying to a question regarding the "face of the party" for the polls, Moily said the Congress itself is a face and the elections will be fought on issues.

Asked whether the Congress will have a tie-up with another party for the MP elections, Moily said, "as of now" there is no tie-up.

Apart from Sonia, all prominent party leaders from the state will also be present at the meeting, state Congress spokesman Manak Agrawal said.

Congress leaders who will be attending the meeting include former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, State Congress President Suresh Pachouri and Union Ministers Arjun Singh, Kamalnath and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

"The time had come for the BJP to express regret before the people instead of seeking their blessings," he said while addressing a meeting at Barkheda.

Taking a dig at the State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's 'Janashirwad Yatra,' Scindia said, "the Chief Minister should take out Kshama Yatras (regret tours) instead of Janashirvad Yatra as it has miserably failed in providing power and good roads to the people of the state as promised."

"Not only in rural areas, but also urban areas are facing unscheduled power cuts even during the rainy season," Scinida said.

He alleged that rampant corruption is taking place at the PDS shops in the entire state while the State government remained a mute spectator.

Highlighting achievements of Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, he said that Rs 71,000 crore farmer's loan waiver scheme is a great relief to the farmers. Besides, Employment Guarantee Scheme and land rights to tribals are the other remarkable feats, he added.

Referring to the issue of Chief Minister in the event of Congress coming to power, he said that whosoever heads the party government will ensure that the state progressed at a faster pace.

But what took everybody by surprise was former state unit Congress chief Subhash Yadav's proposal to contest the upcoming assembly elections under the leadership of Kamal Nath, describing him as the future chief minister before the people. This was seconded by former chief minister, Digvijay Singh, who gave the call for formation of a Congress government in the state.

"The rally was attended by almost all the senior party leaders including Kamal Nath, Digvijay Singh, Satyavrat Chaturvedi, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Suresh Pachauri, Jamuna Devi and others," state Congress general secretary Rajiv Singh told IANS. Central minister Arjun Singh, however, could not attend the meet due to health reasons, but his son and MLA Ajay Singh was present.

National leaders like the party's in charge for Madhya Pradesh and union Parliamentary Affairs State Minister Narayan Sami and Congress spokesman Veerappa Moily were also present.

The state-level convention, organised at the Dussehra Maidan, saw a huge gathering. Senior leaders took a pledge to form the next government in the state.

They said corruption would be the main poll plank against the ruling BJP.

The Congress leaders promised to waive off farmers' loans for five years and provide free electricity up to 5 HP motors if their party is voted to power.

They also promised to implement the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission for state government staff and removing discrepancies in the Fifth Pay Commission.

`Senior party leaders, including Kamal Nath, Digvijay Singh, Ajay Singh, Shrinivas Tiwari, Satyavrat Chaturvedi, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Suresh Pachauri, Kantilal Bhuria and others, have already given their consent to attend the meet at Chhindwara on Aug 22,' state Congress general secretary Rajiv Singh told IANS.

`Central Minister Arjun Singh will not be able to attend the meet due to health reasons, but his son and MLA Ajay Singh will be present,' he said.

The meet reminds many of the Dabra convention.

`The Dabra convention, organised in 1993 at the behest of the late Madhavrao Scindia, is considered a milestone in the recent history of the Congress in the state as it led to the public reposing faith in the party during the 1993 and 1998 assembly polls as it conveyed a message of unity among state leaders,' recalled a state Congress leader.

`The need of a similar convention was being felt to bring all the warring factions in the state Congress together if the BJP is to be thrown out of power,' he said.

"Let us see what type of alliance takes shape between SP and Congress in Uttar Pradesh. The ties between the two parties in Madhya Pradesh will be based on the outcome of the alliance in UP," Scindia told reporters on Monday.

Asked whether the ruling BSP in Uttar Pradesh would be a challenge for the Congress in the state, he said, any party could be a force during the polls.

"Political parties should not take their rivals lightly," he said.

Referring to the declaration of party candidates, Scindia said, keeping in view the recommendations made by the Future Challenges committee, the Congress may declare its candidates for the coming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh a month in advance.

On party's agenda during the assembly polls, the Union Minister said, the issues will be power, water, roads and corruption.