Fresh from its victories in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections, the party is looking at countering the anti-incumbency factor in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where it is in power right now, apart from firming up its strategies for Karnataka and Delhi. Assembly polls are to be held in all these five states in the run up to the 2009 general elections.

With Karnataka likely to be the first off the block, the main Opposition party at the Centre is going to utilise the one-day national executive and the following two-day national council meetings to firm up the gameplan for the State, party sources said. Around 4,000 delegates are expected to attend the meetings.

Being the first such top level party meeting after the announcement of L K Advani as the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate in the next general elections, which was recently endorsed by the NDA, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is expected to take the centre-stage at the meeting.

“The party is in an upbeat mood following the Gujarat and HP results. We have to maintain the momentum and do well in the coming elections, starting with Karnataka, where we have a lot at stake particularly after the JD(S) betrayal in our last effort at government formation,” the sources said. The conclave will be utilised to launch a strong attack on the Congress-led UPA government, particularly over issues like the Sethusamudram project, price rise, internal security, farmers’ issues and unemployment.

It is also expected to ratify the decision taken at the last Bhopal national executive to ensure 33 per cent reservation of all party posts from national to mandal levels to women, based on a report prepared by senior party leader Sushma Swaraj.

The meeting will open with an address by party president Rajnath Singh, while the valedictory address will be delivered by Mr Advani, the sources said.