The Congress’ central election committee on Saturday held deliberations on probable candidates for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls and also decided that the party’s main agenda will be the conduct of a caste survey in the state.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary organisation K C Venugopal and general secretary in charge of the state Randeep Surjewala, state party chief Kamal Nath and members of the central election committee attended the meeting.

“The Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting was held (in Delhi) today. We discussed candidates’ names for about 140 seats. The names will be finalised in the next 6-7 days,” Nath told reporters after the meeting.

READ | Rahul Gandhi reiterates caste census pitch at rally in poll-bound MP

However, Surjewala and Jitendra Singh said there was a discussion on all seats and a decision would be taken later.

Surjewala said the issue of a caste survey was discussed at the meeting.

“We have decided that (conducting) a caste census in Madhya Pradesh will be our main agenda,” Surjewala told reporters.

Asked about the party’s chief ministerial face in Madhya Pradesh, Surjewala said, “Kamal Nath ji is president of Madhya Pradesh Congress and whoever is the president of the Pradesh Congress that person is naturally the face of the Congress.”

READ | Opposition parties demand caste census in Madhya Pradesh

Surjewala also said the alleged “corruption” of the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, law and order situation and crimes against women were discussed in the CEC meeting.

“The wind of change is blowing in Madhya Pradesh. Therefore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi no longer mentions the name and work of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan,” he said.

In response to a question, Surjewala said, “Caste census is an important agenda of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. Our main agenda is to provide justice to our OBC, SC and ST brothers and sisters. Kamal Nath ji and other colleagues of Madhya Pradesh Congress told in the meeting that caste census will be the primary agenda of the Congress.”

He also said, “There are 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh. The political situation of each seat was discussed…. Almost all the seats were discussed…we will hold a meeting soon and then start finalising the names.”

The election to the 230-member assembly in Madhya Pradesh is likely to be held in November-December. The election schedule is yet to be announced.

In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress had won 114 seats, while the BJP got 109.

However, the Congress government fell after many MLAs under the leadership of Jyotiraditya Scindia, who later became a Union minister, joined the BJP.

The BJP returned to power in March 2020 with Shivraj Singh Chouhan as chief minister for a fresh term. The BJP’s current strength in the assembly is 127.