File photo of Congress president Sonia Gandhi
The Congress Chief Ministers conference has begun in Delhi where the party is expected to launch an all-out attack on the government over the agrarian crisis and the controversial land acquisition bill.
Being the first such meet after the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha polls last year, the day-long meet chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi is likely to sharply focus on the Narendra Modi government's economic policies.
Having repeatedly shown his aggressive side since his return from a 56-day sabbatical, Rahul Gandhi is likely to unleash a fresh assault on the government at the conclave.
Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are the other key speakers at the conclave.
The meet comes at a time when the Congress Vice President has launched a sustained campaign against the NDA government over a range of issues - from the land bill to the real estate bill to net neutrality.
A senior leader said that the economic "mismanagement" of government as seen in the alleged "neglect" of the social sector and its "failure" to address the problems of farmers will be focussed at the meet.
Congress is in power in nine states - Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
With Assembly elections in Assam and Kerala scheduled next year, the meet would also provide an opportunity to deliberate on the strategy ahead.
Sonia Gandhi, who has been at the helm of the party since 1998, had started the practice of organising conclave of its chief ministers when Congress was in Opposition at the Centre.
Such meets had been held at Mount Abu, Guwahati, Delhi and Srinagar.
The Congress President has convened the meeting at a time when organisational elections have been delayed as also the elevation of Rahul, who was made party vice president in January 2013 at the Jaipur 'Chintan Shivir'.