SONIA LIKELY TO RECAST HER TEAM

RAJ DY-CM SACHIN PILOT MAY BE REPLACED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF FULL-FLEDGED STATE PARTY CHIEF

After almost three months of taking over as interim Congress president from her son Rahul Gandhi reluctant to continue as party president, Sonia Gandhi has begun consultations with party leaders for recasting her team. So far, she has continued with Rahul's team. But now, she wants to make some changes among the officebearers at the AICC headquarters and also in some of the state party units.

The changes will also include replacement of some of the AICC in-charges of various states, including P C Chacko of Delhi and Dr A Chela Kumar of Goa. Party sources said there will be also major changes in the media team, currently headed by Randeep Surjewala. He is tipped to take charge of one or two key states.

Party sources said the list of changes both in the AICC and the State units is ready and Sonia is likely to effect the changes in the first week of November.

She has also called a meeting here of the party general secretaries, state in-charges and heads of various departments on November 2 to assess the preparations for mounting a nationwide agitation against the government's faulty economic policies. While Sonia had changed the state Congress presidents in Maharashtra and Haryana before their Assembly elections and also appointed a new UP state president, some of the changes kept pending will be implemented now, the sources said.

Former Union Minister Kantilal Bhuria, who won the Jhabua Assembly bye-lection in Madhya Pradesh, is tipped to be the new Congress President of Madhya Pradesh, to fill the post not vacated by Kamal Nath even after becoming the chief minister. Rajasthan deputy-chief minister Sachin Pilot may also be replaced with the responsibility of fullfledged state party chief.

The changes will also include replacement of some of the AICC in-charges of various states, including P C Chacko of Delhi and Dr A Chela Kumar of Goa