New Delhi, Dec 20: Congress today began a day-long exercise to analyse threadbare the party's debacle in the recent assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh with leaders of these states appearing before a high-powered committee to present their views. The committee was set up by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, shortly after the party's rout, to go into the causes of the defeat and submit a report recommending suitable action to prepare the party for future polls.

The six-member committee, headed by senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee, included Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, Manishankar Iyer, B K Handique and Prithviraj Chauhan.

Besides AICC general secretaries, the in charge of respective states, leaders of the Congress Legislature Parties and Pradesh Congress presidents have also been directed by the party leadership to appear before the committee and express their views on the party's reverses.

Congress has already reviewed the assembly poll results in Delhi and Mizoram.

The committee first took up Rajasthan and several leaders including former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Ambika Soni, K Natwar Singh, R K Malviya, Girija Vyas, R N Mirdha, Balram Jhakhar and S C Mathur gave their views.

Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will be taken up later in the day.

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi, who has been suspended, has not been asked to appear before the committee. But Pranab Mukherjee has taken his views on phone, party sources said. Bureau Report