BJP on Monday gave the broadest ever hints of axe falling on several sitting MLAs in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to ward off the anti-incumbency factor.

The indication came from none other than L K Advani, the party's prime ministerial face, who recalled that the party overcame this factor in Narendra Modi-led Gujarat through a "proper process of candidate selection" at the National Executive meeting.

"Let us think in similar terms in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh," he said, noting that the Congress hopes that the party would be able to take advantage of the anti-incumbency factor in the three BJP-ruled states.

The party had denied tickets to several sitting MLAs, including ministers, in Gujarat and fielded several new faces which did the trick in the third consecutive win for Modi.

It repeated the same formula in Karnataka also which paid rich dividends.

"All members of the National Executive should understand that anti-incumbency does not operate only against a government or a chief minister. It generally manifests as a vote against incumbent MLAs or MPs," he said.

Pointing out that voters and even workers punish those MLAs and MPs who are arrogant, unresponsive, inactive, inaccessible and insincere, he said , "This kind of constituency-level anti-incumbency hurt us in the 2004 Parliamentary elections," he added.

That the power of organisational unity and sound election management yield electoral gains, has been abundantly proven in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, he said.