In the 2008 assembly polls, the BJP easily retained power and demonstrated its hold again this year in Lok Sabha polls, winning 10 seats once more.

'None can deny the basic fact that top leadership of the Chhattisgarh Congress is mired in bitter infighting and rivalry, now only a young leadership can change the party's fortune,' a Congress district unit chief remarked.

Vani Rao, president, PCC Women Cell, stated: 'Rahul Gandhi is an icon of youth in the party; youth force will bring the party back to power, we will urge Gandhi to guide us to bring the Congress-dominance era back in Chhattisgarh.'

Gandhi will be arriving Thursday evening at the state's southern town Jagdalpur on a two-day Chhattisgarh visit, mainly to interact with NSUI students. He will meet NSUI cadres at Jagdalpur late evening and at Raipur, Bilaspur and Korba the next day.

He will have a separate meeting Friday with state Congress leaders on the outskirts of capital Raipur to plot the party's resurgence. Over 800 policemen would be deployed to ensure security arrangements of the Congress leader who will spend Thursday night in Raipur.