The delegation, led by state Minister Rajendra Prasad Shukla, included three MPs and 40 MLAs. Most of those who met the AICC chief are said to be the supporters of Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, who is facing opposition to his leadership from several Central party leaders from the state.

The delegation asked Gandhi to form at the earliest a separate Chhatisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, which would be able to articulate the party's point of view on the subject keeping in view the popular will. The creation of a separate Pradesh Congress Committee would also serve the ``strategic needs'' of the party, keeping in mind the coming Assembly elections in the state, they feel.

According to Pradesh Congress sources, the delegation also indirectly opposed any move toreplace the Chief Minister, especially when the Assembly elections were round the corner.

In the memorandum, the delegation pointed out that the Congress had always been in the forefront of the demand for a Chhatisgarh state.