BENGALURU: With just 10 days to go for the crucial bypolls, the Congress unit in the state is still not looking like a cohesive unit to take on the BJP’s coordinated campaign strategy, so much so, the Congress central leadership seems to have stepped in to monitor campaign strategy and implementation on a daily basis.
From Monday, observers deputed by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) started work in the assembly segments assigned to them.
They will be working as facilitators between local, state and central leaders to sort out differences, address logistical issues in coordination with state leaders and ensure that the party’s strategies are implemented at the village level.
“They will be sending reports to the state and central leaders on a daily basis,” sources in the party told The New Indian Express.
“Unlike in the past, this time central leaders are very closely monitoring the bypolls,” sources added.
The bypolls are crucial for the party’s attempts to revive its fortunes, especially after successive defeats.
In many constituencies, the party is showing signs of fighting back, but its overall campaign strategy doesn’t seem to be a match for the BJP’s blitzkrieg led by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.
BJP unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel, central and state ministers are all out in the constituencies, trying to forge a bond between the party cadre and supporters of disqualified legislators contesting as BJP candidates. That kind of firepower and coordinated effort is missing in the Congress camp.
Bringing all top state leaders on to the same page in a short span of time seems to be a difficult task, but the party central leadership seems to be making serious efforts to ensure proper coordination between leaders at different levels.
AICC observers will be closely working with KPCC observers, former ministers and leaders at assembly segments.
“AICC is very serious about the bypolls in Karnataka and we are monitoring the developments on a daily basis.
Former Union Minister JD Seelam is coordinating with eight AICC observers in the state. From Monday, our observers will be in the constituencies assigned to them till December 3, and they will work with the state and local leaders,” he added.
Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Congress Committee (TNPCC) working president M Jayakumar, who has been deputed as an observer in Shivajinagar and KR Puram assembly segments in Bengaluru, said the party is confident of winning both assembly segments.