The CWC is also slated to meet, in light of the EC's decision to hold polls in September, after tomorrow's deliberations with state leaders. At least nine states are to go to polls along with the Lok Sabha elections and the Congress chief is keen to tie-up alliances wherever necessary in these states.

The party appears to have got off to a slow start and no important decisions have still been formally announced. Apart from periodic admissions of people from other parties into its fold, like a few from the Samajwadi Party today, in the presence of UPCC chief Salman Khurshid, the Congress has been concentrating on attacking the BJP-led government.

Today too, party spokesperson Ajit Jogi said the transfer of bureaucrats is highly objectionable and a grave impropriety on theCentre's part. Though the EC's model code of conduct is not yet in place, there are certain norms which have been followed for several years now, the Congress felt. Jogi suggested Home Secretary BP Singh was shunted out for refusing to toe the BJP line. He gave no details except to say Singh was told to ``submit a certain report to the EC'' which he apparently didn't.

Many top Congress leaders are touring parts of the country to get the party network into shape for the third election in three years. Arjun Singh was in Kerala, Karunakaran is currently there, Rajesh Pilot is in Chennai, Balram Jakhar in Rajasthan, Sharad Pawar in Mumbai, Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy in AP, etc.

On her part, Sonia has been meeting many party colleagues and played host to TMC chief GK Moopanar today. The DMK has gone with the BJP and the TMC is anti-ADMK. The Congress has the option of either going with the ADMK or playing a lone hand which it hasn't done in Tamil Nadu for decades.

Sources said Moopanar suggested the TMC and theCongress work together for the coming polls and fight the DMK-PMK-TRC-BJP front which is likely to include the MDMK too, on one hand and the ADMK-led bloc on the other hand.

There could be three groups in the battle in Tamil Nadu this time, one led by the DMK and having a possible five parties, the second of the ADMK-Janata Party and third of the Congress-TMC-Left Parties. At least this is what the TMC would like.

Sonia has to decide if she wants this pruned to a straight fight between two blocs by bringing the TMC, ADMK and Left parties with her in TN. Such a scenario would see the BJP-DMK-PMK-MDMK-TRC versus the Cong-ADMK-TMC-CPM-CPI-JP.