This follows the surprise visit by UP chief minister Mayawati to Agra a day earlier.

 Late night reports said some other crucial transfers had been made in Lucknow in the run up to the assembly elections next year. But the local body elections are due this year.

 Sources said preparations were being made at a hectic pace to hold elections to municipal corporations and elect mayors, this summer, after some changes in the Municipal Act.

 "With changes being made so abruptly and frequently continuity in policies and implementation of various schemes is seriously affected," commented a senior official (not wanting to be identified).

The state is all set to see a lot of political activities in the coming months. The Bahujan Samaj Party has already taken the lead by declaring names of candidates for a large number of assembly constituencies. The Samajwadi Party looks set with a list of around 150 candidates finalized. The Bhartiya Janata Party meanwhile is mobilizing public support and drumming up issues that are in the public eye with a series of field activities. "Agra's temperature is already going high with the dharna by the local leaders demanding quashing of FIRs against local MP Ram Shankar Katheria who a week ago led a farmers' agitation and marched to the district collectorate with a fleet of more than 150 tractors," said BJP activist Premendra Jain.

With improvement on the weather front political activities by all parties are now picking up momentum and leaders flexing their muscles to consolidate vote banks for the series of elections.

"The municipal corporation elections will the real test of public mood. The biggest worry for the Mayawati government is the virtual non-functioning of the local bodies which have generally failed to solve any civic problem," said NGO functionary Shravan Bharti.