With hardly a month left for the Delhi Assembly Elections, the Congress has already set up a war room in the state, in a bid to regain its waning foothold. Though Delhi will witness a three-pronged fight between the AAP, BJP and Congress.
The Congress, which once ruled the state, failed to open its account in the last two Assembly polls and is expecting to turn the tide this time. While both BJP and the AAP have announced candidates for all 70 seats, the Congress could only so far release the first list of 48 candidates.
While the party couldn't wrest even a single seat in Delhi in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections even while it was in an alliance with AAP, the state election will not be a cakewalk either, considering that it is independently contesting the elections.
War room ready
While the war room and manifesto preparation for the elections began as early as December, the party is now devising a strategy by roping in senior leaders. As per reports, chief ministers, deputy chief ministers of Congress-rules states and national spokespersons have been tasked with holding press conferences and meetings to convince voters of the guarantees put forth by the party.
They include Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Telangana CM REvanth Reddy and Rajasthan former deputy chief minister and Congress leader Sachin Pilot.
The party will also organise election rallies which will see senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi participate in it. Party President Mallikarjun Kharge will also address voters at the mega rally.
Targeting both AAP and BJP
Despite AAP being an INDIA ally, the Congress is in no mood to go soft on AAP, as evident from its initial campaign. Congress leader Ajay Maken addressing AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal as "anti-national" shows that Congress isn't shy of targetting Kejriwal himself. The party has also selected its sharpest weapon, Sandeep Dixit, to take on Kejriwal in his constituency. It is also fielding Mahila Congress National President Alka Lamba in Atishi's constituency Kalkaji.
