Party sources say that the main focus of the changes in the AICC would be at the secretary level, although some new faces will also be brought in at the general secretary level.

At present the AICC set up comprises seven general secretaries and 10 secretaries.

As many as five general secretaries -- Pranab Mukherjee, Ambika Soni, S.K. Shinde, Oscar Fernandes and Ghulam Nabi Azad -- had resigned in the wake of the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls and some of them may give way to younger faces such as Rajesh Pilot and Kamal Nath.

Under scrutiny are those who were nominated due to their close proximity with 10, Janpath but were unable to improve the party's position in states of which they were made in-charge.

Of the twogeneral secretaries who did not resign, R.K. Dhawan may get the axe while Madhavrao Scindia, the only general secretary apart from S.K. Shinde to win in the recent elections, is likely to stay on. Scindia, as general secretary in-charge of Maharasthra, played a key role in government formation there and after his nomination as deputy leader in the Lok Sabha is considered to be Sonia's most reliable advisors.

The need for a change in the AICC has been staring at the party ever since it suffered its worst-ever electoral debacle in the recent Lok Sabha polls. Criticism has mounted within the party on the ``ineffective role'' played by some AICC functionaries in managing the election campaign and coordinating party affairs in various state units.

The role of some secretary-level office-bearers has come in for sharp attack and party circles have questioned their performance as well as locus standi to continue. Three of the 10 AICC secretaries, Sudhir Sawant, Mukul Wasnik and Imran Kidwai had contested therecent elections but lost, while a fourth, K. Selja, had backed out from the fray at the last moment.

Only two secretaries, Mani Shankar Aiyar and Ramesh Chennithala, were able to win their seats. Aiyar has been made convenor of the A.K. Antony introspection committee looking into the reasons for the party's poor performance. The main attack on some AICC secretaries has been lack of accountability.

Seen as 10, Janpath appointees they were nominated to their posts soon after Sonia took over as president last year -- their critics feel that they have shown more attention in ``paying obeisance'' to the party president than working in close coordination with the general secretaries in managing the party affairs in various states. ``Most general secretaries have been working on their own with little support coming from their subordinates, who have been more interested in carving out their own small empires within the party,'' a senior party leader said.