The Congress is seemingly in no mood to give its INDI bloc ally, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, a walkover in the forthcoming Delhi Legislative Assembly polls. This comes after the two allies exchanged barbs over alleged corruption and electoral malpractices against each other in collision with Bharatiya Janata Party.
With the campaign for the 70 member House set to enter its final phase, the top leader of Congress and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi is set to hold extensive rallies and public contact programs over this week.
Sources stated the senior Congress leader is expected to concentrate his campaign in constituencies with a high number of minority voters to seriously dent the prospects of AAP candidates in these areas. “Rahul is likely to address rallies and hold public contact programs in Patparganj, Okhla and Burari Assembly constituencies over this week,” sources said.
Over the past few weeks, there has been muted criticism of the party high command after its less than enthusiastic participation in the ongoing electoral campaign. However, with Rahul likely to participate in several of these electioneering events over the next few days, the party cadre and local leadership will soon be filled with enthusiasm and much-needed morale upliftment ahead of the crucial polls.
It is learnt that the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee has also sought time from party General Secretary and Wayanad Member of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to hold some campaign programs in the national capital.
The party feels that if both Gandhi siblings campaign for Congress candidates, the grand old party may get positive results in several Assembly seats. The party feels that the two leaders have a reach amongst the youth, women and minority voters, which are also the core voters of the AAP and could be effective in changing the political prospects of the party in the city.
The activeness of senior Congress leaders would ensure re-energization of the grand old party’s campaign which was till now being kept alive by individual candidates like Sandeep Dikshit, Alka Lamba and others.
By fielding strong candidates and pulling in national leaders for campaigning, Congress has sent a clear message in Delhi Assembly elections that it wants to reclaim its piece of political legacy in the national capital, which it had ruled through stalwart leader Sheila Dikshit for 15 years. The aggressive campaign mode shows the seriousness of the grand old party to reclaim power in the national capital and take back its vote share from the AAP, which had displaced it from power.
The 70-member Delhi Assembly is scheduled to go for polls on February 5 and the results will be announced on February 8.
