The top ten scheduled cast leaders would accompany the the legislator from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi, during his road shows, which is expected to take off from 13 assembly segments in the national capital where dalits hold the key to power.

The decision to field Rahul was taken at a meeting of the senior Congress leaders held at the residence of the party president Sonia Gandhi early this week.

Besides, the party has also formed a special team consisted of second-rung dalit leaders and party workers, who have been briefed by experts as to how should they go ahead to counter the claims of the BSP chief and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on the welfare of dalits. The team armed with the details of the conditions of dalits at ward level in all dalit-dominated constituencies.

The Congress leadership has also urged the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to release advertisements in the media highlighting the policies and achievements of the United Progressive Alliance government vis-à-vis welfare of dalits during its tenure.

The Congress has also sought help from high-profile dalit leaders including Ramvilas Paswan to campaign for the congress candidates in the constituencies where his party has no contestant.

The Congress leadership has been discussing and monitoring the impact of possible electoral damage by BSP since the elections were announced in the six states. Party has also studied the reports of its state units from four northern states going to polls. However, the party leadership failed to evolve a comprehensive strategy to contain the growing influence of BSP in north India.#