RAIPUR : In the wake of several party leaders defecting to the arch-rival BJP in the state, the Chhattisgarh Congress has initiated a damage control strategy ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
The party has established a state-level ‘samvad evam sampark samiti’ (dialogue and communication committee) aimed at engaging extensively with Congress members.
As per the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), the newly formed 14-member committee, led by former state president Dhanendra Sahu as its coordinator, will immediately take action to facilitate regular amicable discussions and maintain strong connections with party leaders and cadres across the state.
The committee includes three former PCC presidents, six former state ministers, the PCC vice-president, chairman of the PCC war room, two former MLAs and an AICC member.
It has been ensured that the committee comprises members representing various regions of the state, enabling them to maintain regular communication with party leaders and workers in their constituencies.
In recent weeks, several disgruntled Congress leaders, office-bearers and senior party members have joined the BJP in the state.
Responding to this apparent exodus, Congress spokespersons have stated that some leaders left the party due to self-centered motives, while others were allegedly either enticed or pressured into joining the BJP.
For instance, Chintamani Maharaj, who joined Congress in 2013 from BJP, returned to the saffron fold after being denied a Congress ticket in the 2023 assembly polls, citing it as a ‘Ghar Vapsi’ for him.
The departing leaders from Congress have cited grievances such as not receiving adequate attention, lack of recognition from party leaders, dissatisfaction with election management, and disappointment over ticket allocation both in the current and previous assembly polls.
Party general secretary Chandrashekhar Shukla, who left Congress after remaining associated with the party for over two decades, said that brokers and people with the leftist mindset have intruded the party and the workers felt demoralised as their voices were being suppressed.