New Delhi: The first meeting of the AICC’s campaign committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections saw confusion and concern on the strategy for BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi and the role of the corporator sector.
According to sources, some members wanted to know whether the party line is to ignore Mr Modi or take him head on. A Union minister drew attention to how the private sector, which contributes 70 per cent of the GDP, is favouring Mr Modi.
The meeting, held at the AICC headquarters here, was chaired by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, vice-president Rahul Gandhi, AICC officials and some Union ministers. It saw some leaders noting that many television channels are favouring the BJP.
Mrs Gandhi was, however, combative in the meeting, resolving that the party would fight the election vigorously. Sources said that Union minister Manish Tewari talked about the role of corporate and media in Mr Modi’s election campaign. He also favoured taking Mr Modi head on. Senior leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi made a strong plea against giving tickets to those tainted and those who have come from other parties.
He emphasised that giving tickets to tainted would create more problems for the party, which is already facing a difficult election. He also said that the party should not give tickets to those who quit their parties to join the Congress to seek nominations.
Sources said members wanted the party not to encourage defectors in other parties, saying that this would make the Congress a tourist place for them. Some members viewed that the party should not field candidates who are tainted. Kumari Selja lamented that the Congress did not pursue the issue of affirmative action in the private sector to a logical conclusion.
Some leaders wanted tickets to be finalised as early as possible as it will help in creating a positive atmosphere while some underlined the need for using decent language. Some members said the decision of holding week long ‘padyatra’ in all Lok Sabha constituencies before the announcement of the poll schedule as they received the party circular in this regard only the other day. And there is hardly any time left for such a padyatra as the election schedule could be announced any time.
