The decision to float the single panel was apparently taken in view of the impending Lok Sabha elections and civic elections. ``If we had two panels, it would have widened the rift between the two groups'', said a senior councillor.

After the party bosses decided to have just one set of nominations for the four top posts, even the rebel faction fell in line, making the job of the two observers -- Ankleshwar MLA Jayanti Patel and Navsari District unit president Thakorbhai Desai -- easy.

Patel and Desai interacted with councillors to elicit their views on the candidates in an exercise that began at 9 a.m and continued till 6 p.m. at the party office.

As directed by the party, the majority of councillors endorsed the four names recommended by the party. Party office-bearers, former mayor Fakirbhai Chauhan and Union Textile Minister Kashirman Rana arrived at a consensus in view of the forthcoming elections.

Some councillors, however, are said to have expressed their unhappiness over a particular candidate who is allegedly a non-entity, but ``very close to the builders' lobby''. But senior councillor Hansmukh Jogani claimed that the particular candidate had been selected because of his ``clean'' image.

Bhikhabhai Bhogra is the consensus candidate for mayor, Shankerlal Chavli is nominated for the deputy mayor's post, Natu Soma Patel for the standing committee chairman's post and former mayor Ajay Desai for the leader of the house.

The party observers are expected to send their report to the state party leadership, which is to take the final decision about the proposed panel for the new team. Though the selection of the four candidates is more than certain, their names will be formally announced on Wednesday.