NEW DELHI: While the top leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have been sweating it out on the ground for almost a week, the Congress is yet to devise its campaign strategy. In what is a fight to stay alive in Delhi politics, the grand old party appears confused and undecided not just in terms of scheduling rallies but also on how to have a go at their rivals. Besides other senior functionaries of the saffron outfit, BJP president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have been addressing, at least, two public meetings and participating in padyatras (marches) every day.
AAP convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia have also been holding roadshows and attending election gatherings daily in support of their party candidates for February 8 polls. However, senior Congress leaders have been conspicuous by their absence in the campaign jaunts of the party’s candidates. Congress functionaries, acknowledging the ‘disarray’, blamed poor coordination among party leaders and dearth of resources —manpower and funds.
“There are genuine issues. We have been struggling to find space to set up election offices for candidates. Funding and mobilisation of volunteers were also a concern. But they have now been sorted out. However, our members are already busy in a door-to-door campaign. Observers are holding meetings to decide the plan of action,” said a senior Congress functionary, associated with the party’s campaign planning.
The party has appointed observers — MLAs from Congress-ruled Rajasthan, Punjab, Jharkhand and Madhya Pardesh — for all 70 assembly constituencies. Poll preparations in each district (cluster of five constituencies) are being supervised by an MP. The functionary added that the party had already submitted its list of 40-star campaigners and they would be hitting the streets by end of this week.
Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra said, “City leaders and candidates are already meeting people and are active in the field. I have been going to constituencies and attending opening ceremonies of election offices. Our campaign is set to be intensified in the next two-three days as we release our manifesto.”