NEW DELHI : With Congress top leadership including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Priyanka Gandhi, hitting the campaign trail, the party is gearing up for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19.
Sources suggest that Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi may also attend a few rallies in the coming days, though not as extensively as in the previous general elections.
The party;s star campaigner Rahul Gandhi’s rallies and roadshows in poll-bound states like Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Rajasthan are already generating buzz, according to a party functionary. Gandhi is scheduled to hold rallies in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra on Saturday and will cover more states in the lead-up to the first phase of elections.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also set to play a crucial role in the campaigns, as per sources. While her presence at the first INDIA rally on Ramlila grounds hinted at her special role in organisational affairs, sources reveal there’s significant demand from several states for her participation in rallies and roadshows. “Priyanka can connect with the masses and draw crowds. She played a pivotal role in the Congress victory in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka assembly elections,” said a party leader. Priyanka will hold public meetings in Uttarakhand on Saturday and attend roadshows in Agartala on April 16.
The party is aggressively pushing its ‘Nyay guarantee cards’ through door-to-door campaigns and digitally. Congress claims to have already distributed eight crore physical copies of the guarantee cards and sent one crore copies digitally. “The response we have received has been phenomenal. At a time when the BJP has barely convened a Manifesto Committee, we are reaching the last voter with our guarantee,” said Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh.
Volunteers from abroad are also playing a crucial role in the campaigns, according to the functionary. “The overseas Congress is actively campaigning on social media by sharing content. Several NRI volunteers are in India to campaign for the party,” they added.
To amplify its digital outreach, the party released a campaign song on social media platforms on Friday depicting the plight of farmers. The 30-second video clip highlights the three demands of farmers, including MSP guarantee for crops, GST-free farming, and loan waivers. The campaign song mentions the historic `72,000 debt waiver for farmers by the UPA government in 2008 and urges the farming community to raise their voice for their rights.
The party is also set to launch an innovative campaign on TV and social media on April 15, according to a party functionary closely associated with the Congress war room. “We have outlined key issues such as the electoral bonds scam by the BJP, misuse of Central agencies, and many others in the campaign,” said the functionary.
Guarantee cards
Congress is aggressively pushing its ‘Nyay guarantee cards’ through door-to-door campaigns and digitally. The party claims to have already distributed eight crore copies of the guarantee cards and sent one crore copies digitally. “The response we have received has been phenomenal,” said Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh.