The party's resolve to formally condemn Chief Minister Mayawati for slapping the Dalit Act against Joshi and for putting her behind bars was endorsed by Gandhi.

Gandhi devoted much attention to the prevailing drought conditions across the state as also to the plight of the people in poverty-ridden Bundelkhand, for which he had already been urging the centre to set up an independent development authority.

Reacting to Mayawati's stiff opposition to the move, Gandhi said there was no intent to encroach into the autonomy of the state.

'The proposal was made in view of the fact that the Bundelkhand region was spread across both UP and Madhya Pradesh. And even if an authority was created, the development works in the two states would in any case be carried out by the respective state governments only,' Digvijay Singh said.

Digvijay Singh said Mayawati's demand for a special economic package of Rs.80,000 crore was also discussed in the meeting. 'Well the centre gives as much as Rs.50,000 annually to the state government,' he said.

But the state government 'has not been putting it to appropriate use, simply because its priorities were all lopsided and the state was more focused on building memorials and installing statues', he alleged.