Talking to mediapersons, Azad said that it was only natural that Sonia be projected as the candidate to the post as she was the president of the party and the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP).

Sonia had herself made it clear at the last AICC meeting that the elected party MPs would decide the prime ministerial candidate ``as is the usual practice''. Acknowledging the Cong chief's statement, Azad, however, said that the partymen wanted Sonia to be projected as the prime ministerial candidate in the coming elections.

Azad, who along with former Union minister N P K Salve and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Prataprao Bhonsale, held a meeting with prominent party workers here on Tuesday, claimed that almost 99 per cent party workers in theregion were with the Congress led by Sonia.

Barring former chief minister Sudhakarrao Naik and Datta Meghe, not a single prominent party functionary had joined Pawar. ``We are getting an overwhelming response from the State, particularly from the Vidarbha region, which has always been a Congress citadel,'' he said and asserted that the Congress would repeat the 1978 performance in Vidarbha in the ensuing elections.

Lashing out at Pawar, the AICC general secretary alleged that the Maratha leader was misrepresenting facts about his strength in Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly and Council. He claimed that maximum number of legislators in both the Houses was with the Congress and hence the Leader of the Opposition would soon be named by his party.

According to him, as many as 31 MLAs and 13 MLCs attended the CLP meeting held at Mumbai on Monday. Six legislators, who were unable to attend the meeting, sent telegrams expressing their willingness to remain in the Congress while nine other legislatorsurged the party leadership to postpone the meeting. ``We have accepted their suggestion and the meeting has been adjourned. It will be held in the next week,'' he further informed.

Azad was hopeful that despite use of `muscle power' and pressure tactics by Pawar faction, Opposition leaders in both the Houses would be from the Congress.

A delegation has already met the State Assembly Speaker, Dattaji Nalawade, and urged him to prevent the leaders of Opposition Madhukarrao Pichad and Chhagan Bhujbal, who have been expelled from the Congress, from misusing their office.