As many as 95 per cent of the Congress workers are still with the party and we will confidently fight the electoral battle ahead, Scindia said. ``I am returning very confident in my mind that the Congress in Maharashtra is brimming with enthusiasm. None of the recent incidents will affect us,'' he said, ``Earlier there was an unhealthy situation because decisions were taken to accommodate a senior leader but now there will be a very healthy situation.''

Pradesh Congress Committee president Prataprao Bhosale and veteran Congress leaders opposed to Pawar S B Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde, A R Antulay, Murli Deora and Prabha Rau were present when Scindiaspoke to the press at Tilak Bhavan this afternoon. Minutes before, his address to the party workers was disrupted by about 30-35 Pawar loyalists who marched to Tilak Bhavan, shouted ``Pawar Zindabad'' slogans and attempted to torch Sonia Gandhi posters.

Scindia remarked that the Congress had made a mistake in that ``we forgot the history and political record of Pawar who is known to have stabbed his leaders in the back". "Everything now points out to a well-thought out plan and a deep-rooted conspiracy. It's an explicit personal agenda to damage the party,'' Scindia said of Pawar, Sangma and Anwar's letter of May 15 challenging Sonia Gandhi's claim to be prime minister on account of her foreign origin. ``We have no hesitation in declaring Sonia Gandhi as our prime ministerial candidate since she is the leader of the party,'' Scindia added, ``She is eligible and capable. She passes on both tests.''

Scindia also clarified the disciplinary action against the trio was not taken not only because of the letterthey sent but also because ``they tried to exploit this and broadcast it to the whole nation'' though the issue was discussed threadbare in the Congress Working Committee. ``They were invited for the following CWC meetings; the CWC was convened not once but twice to suit their convenience but none of them turned up. There had to be some action. The party has been extremely democratic,'' Scindia said.