Meanwhile, the party high command is persuading former Union Finance Minister Manmohan Singh to enter the fray from South Delhi.

Gandhi told a private television channel, ``Yes, I am going to contest,'' saying it would enthuse party workers, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. Manmohan Singh, however, has yet to respond to the suggestion made to him.

With this announcement, Gandhi has set speculation at rest. It is also clear she will contest from Uttar Pradesh, but whether from Amethi or Allahabad is anybody's guess. Gandhi launched the party's election campaign from Allahabad yesterday, fuelling speculation that she may return to the family district.

The move to field Manmohan Singh is considered shrewd, as it will take the focus away from Gandhi as the lone prime ministerial candidate in the party. With Singh in the fray, the party cancontend that the issue will be decided by members of Parliament.

Fielding Singh will also lend credibility to the resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee which said the leadership issue would be decided by MPs.

Though Singh is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam and is reluctant to enter the fray, Gandhi is desirous of fielding a middle class-friendly face with a good public image.

Gandhi's trusted lieutenants at 10, Janpath feel Singh's candidature will also take the wind out of Sharad Pawar's personalised campaign against the Congress president's foreign origin.

The lieutenants also believe the BJP and its allies will focus their election campaign on the foreign origin issue, irrespective of claims to the contrary. The BJP may try to reap the Kargil harvest or talk about stability, but will eventually focus on Vajpayee vs Sonia, Swadeshi vs Videshi and the like.

Therefore, Singh will be the answer to this personalised campaign. His name figured in the screening committee meeting to selectparty candidates for Delhi headed by K Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy.

All India Congress Committee general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress Working Committee member Ganga Potai, Delhi Congress president Subhash Chopra and Chief Minister Shiela Dixit are other members of the Committee.

The CWC is meeting here tomorrow to clear the first list of candidates.

Meanwhile, Gandhi has decided to allow some of the ``new relatives'' of party leaders to enter the electoral fray.