The battlelines on the Lokpal Bill have become sharper with Mr Anna Hazare warming up for his fast from December 27, and the UPA Chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi, putting her weight behind the revised version of the Lokpal Bill.

The revised Lokpal Bill is slated to be introduced in Parliament on Thursday, and the existing one will be withdrawn, sources said.

The Winter Session is likely to be extended for three days from December 27 to take up the Lokpal and other Bills coinciding with Mr Hazare's three-day fast in Mumbai.

Earlier in the day, almost setting the tone for her party's election campaign in the Assembly polls due in five States, the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, said “I will fight for (the passage of) Lokpal Bill”.

On Tuesday, Team Anna threatened to campaign against the Government in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Tripura and Goa which go to the polls next year. It termed the draft as ‘unacceptable' and the Government's intention to fight corruption as ‘suspect'.

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party on Wednesday, Ms Gandhi shrugged away the Opposition and Team Anna's charge that the Congress and the Government was not doing anything to tackle corruption. “This is deliberate and malicious misinformation,” she said. She said three Bills were to be passed soon to tackle the issue of corruption.

Attacking the Opposition, especially the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, she said, “Let us fight the forces that are out to destabilise us….. Our commitment is to the people of India. We will persevere in moving ahead on our governance and legislative programmes.”

In Ralegan Siddhi, Mr Hazare took barbs at the Home Minister and accused the Government of “cheating the people”.

“If the CBI is outside, then how will the Lokpal be strong? This system will save corrupt politicians. If the CBI comes under Lokpal, then (Home Minister) P. Chidambaram will be in jail,” he said.

> aditi.n@thehindu.co.in

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