The PECs are to meet for three days between October 21 and 23 during which they will set guidelines for candidate selection and forward a list of nominees for each seat. These lists are slated to reach the Congress Central Election Committee by October 24 after which the party high command will clear the final list. AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes said in a statement today that candidates for the by-elections will also be cleared in the above deadline.

In a related development, Independent MLA from Raipur and former minister in Madhya Pradesh Kanhaiah Lal Sharma has joined the Congress today. This comes after some other Independent MLAs in MP joined the Congress a few days ago. Sharma met Congress president SoniaGandhi during the day when she admitted him into the party fold.

Meanwhile, the Congress has expressed serious concern over the reported attempts to dilute the secular character of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR). Party spokesperson Girija Vyas charged the BJP with trying to introduce the RSS ideology into the educational system by meddling with the affairs of the apex body of historians.

As reported by The Indian Express, textbooks in Rajasthan already carry chapters written by RSS chief Rajendra Singh and his deputy Sudarshan. The Human Resource Development ministry recently appointed some members to the ICHR council leading to allegations that the new members are RSS sympathisers and will try to change the country's history curriculum.