Signalling a change of gear from diffidence to aggression, a strongly-worded CWC resolution attacked Vajpayee for hiding information about the Kargil crisis for fear of destroying the Lahore Declaration.

``The revelation of the truth (about Kargil) would have exposed Mr Vajpayee to ridicule before the nation,'' declared the resolution, which was passed after six hours of deliberations stretching over two days.

The party's decision to go for Vajpayee's jugular on the Kargil issue stems from its anxiety over the hype created by the Bharatiya Janata Party which has given the Prime Minister a larger-than-life image. ``The contest seems to be between the BJP and the Congress with Vajpayee being projected as above all parties,'' said one leader.

By transferring the blame for Kargil from Defence Minister George Fernandes toVajpayee, the Congress hopes to bring Vajpayee down from his pedestal. The strategy dates back to the 1998 elections when Sonia Gandhi took political circles by storm by calling Vajpayee a liar during a rally in Delhi. The aim then too was to try and dent his popular image which was choking the Congress' prospects.

This time too, the Congress is finding it difficult to combat Vajpayee's profile in the do-or-die battle ahead. The post-Kargil boost to his image is particularly crucial in Uttar Pradesh, where the upper castes are caught between their antipathy for Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and their soft corner for Vajpayee.

Congress sources admitted that the decision to focus on Vajpayee could boomerang. The party would like to avoid the danger of the electoral battle becoming a Vajpayee versus Sonia contest. At the same time, Congress circles feel the party must go on the offensive if it wants to remain in the race.

``The finance, security and foreign policies of the country have to be decided by thePrime Minister. How can Vajpayee absolve himself of responsibility for the Kargil crisis?'' asked CWC general secretary Pranab Mukherjee. ``The accountability of this Government in human terms will be an election issue,'' he added.

The CWC resolution lays down the party line for the campaign. ``The Government had the information but not the will to act. It is perhaps for this reason that Vajpayee has consistently refused to inform the nation as to when he came to know of the infiltration. This negligence of the Vajpayee Government has cost the nation many brave and precious lives,'' it stated.

The Congress has also decided to bring out a White Paper on Kargil which will be distributed in pamphlet form as part of its campaign. Apart from finalising its formulation on the Kargil issue, the CWC meeting also cleared guidelines and timetables for ticket distribution.

The party has decided that all those who have lost two successive elections and those who either lost their deposits or were defeated by a``huge margin'' will not be given tickets this time. ``We will look for fresh faces, younger people and try and give more representation to women, backward castes and other weaker sections,'' said Mukherjee.