IE
20AUG2012
Gujrat polls: Congress meticulously campaigning to dethrone Modi
Agencies : Ahmedabad, Mon Aug 20 2012, 10:45 hrs
Opposition Congress in Gujarat is carrying out an aggressive and
sustained campaign ahead of the state assembly polls, taking up issues
affecting people and connecting with the masses by organising various
yatras and agitations, which has for the first time put the ruling BJP
on the defensive.
Even Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has never bothered to
react to statements and promises of state Congress leaders in the run
up to December 2012 elections, has had to respond to some of its poll
promises.
"Earlier, state leaders of Congress, instead of doing any ground work,
used to depend more on virtual campaign through advertisements and
press statements and held the hope that charisma of their central
leadership will sail them through," a Congress leader said.
But this time there is a planned meticulous campaign in which state
level leaders have actually gone to the people of Gujarat and tried to
connect with a large number of people through various yatras and stirs
and have taken up real issues affecting them, he said.
"The Congress campaign had started a year ahead of the scheduled date
of polls. Our focus of campaign is arrogance of Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi versus democratic values," Congress spokesperson Manish
Doshi said.
"We have held a sustained campaign against the issues concerning
people, which the present government has failed to tackle like
unemployment, corruption, benefits of development not reaching poor
and lower middle class and insensitivity of
those in power towards problem of common man," Doshi said.
Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhvadia, election campaign
committee chief Shankarsinh Vaghela and leader of opposition
Shaktisinh Gohil have not only focused on building of organisational
strengths, but in tandem have targeted right
areas and sections of the society for the campaign of the party, he said.
Instead of just campaigning by holding election rallies after the date
of polls are announced as was the routine earlier, the Congress so far
has organized four big yatras-- Hisab do Jawab do, Sardar Sandesh
yatara, Adivasi adhikar yatra, Kinaro Bachao yatra (for fishermen). In
these yatras state level leaders have extensively travelled all the
districts of the state and tried to connect with people, Doshi said.
On the other hand, Modi, who has penchant of holding yatras ahead of
elections, has not come up with any such plan this time.
Besides, various agitational programmes have been held from time to
time in the last one year. "We have also announced three vision
documents as a part of our 12 points which has evoked much response
from the people," Doshi said.
The Congress has also unleashed an advertising campaign in local
television channels and local newspapers pointing out weakness of the
Modi government. It has also taken on the strong presence of Modi on
the Internet to attract young
voters.
The aggressive and sustained Congress campaign in the last few months
has put the BJP on defensive as the state government and the state
unit of the party have issued
numerous denials to the allegations raised by the Congress during
their campaign.
One of the vision documents of Congress which promises to give houses
to women of poor and middle class families at very nominal rates has
become an instant hit among large population of the state as there are
long queues of women outside the party offices to get forms of the
scheme.
Modi has said that the distribution of forms to poor women is cheating
as there is no guarantee that they will come to power. They have not
implemented such schemes in the states where they were in power and
are not distributing forms with the stamp of the central government
and signature of the prime minister, which means that there is no
guarantee that they will provide cheap homes.
Agencies : Ahmedabad, Mon Aug 20 2012, 10:45 hrs
Opposition Congress in Gujarat is carrying out an aggressive and
sustained campaign ahead of the state assembly polls, taking up issues
affecting people and connecting with the masses by organising various
yatras and agitations, which has for the first time put the ruling BJP
on the defensive.
Even Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has never bothered to
react to statements and promises of state Congress leaders in the run
up to December 2012 elections, has had to respond to some of its poll
promises.
"Earlier, state leaders of Congress, instead of doing any ground work,
used to depend more on virtual campaign through advertisements and
press statements and held the hope that charisma of their central
leadership will sail them through," a Congress leader said.
But this time there is a planned meticulous campaign in which state
level leaders have actually gone to the people of Gujarat and tried to
connect with a large number of people through various yatras and stirs
and have taken up real issues affecting them, he said.
"The Congress campaign had started a year ahead of the scheduled date
of polls. Our focus of campaign is arrogance of Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi versus democratic values," Congress spokesperson Manish
Doshi said.
"We have held a sustained campaign against the issues concerning
people, which the present government has failed to tackle like
unemployment, corruption, benefits of development not reaching poor
and lower middle class and insensitivity of
those in power towards problem of common man," Doshi said.
Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhvadia, election campaign
committee chief Shankarsinh Vaghela and leader of opposition
Shaktisinh Gohil have not only focused on building of organisational
strengths, but in tandem have targeted right
areas and sections of the society for the campaign of the party, he said.
Instead of just campaigning by holding election rallies after the date
of polls are announced as was the routine earlier, the Congress so far
has organized four big yatras-- Hisab do Jawab do, Sardar Sandesh
yatara, Adivasi adhikar yatra, Kinaro Bachao yatra (for fishermen). In
these yatras state level leaders have extensively travelled all the
districts of the state and tried to connect with people, Doshi said.
On the other hand, Modi, who has penchant of holding yatras ahead of
elections, has not come up with any such plan this time.
Besides, various agitational programmes have been held from time to
time in the last one year. "We have also announced three vision
documents as a part of our 12 points which has evoked much response
from the people," Doshi said.
The Congress has also unleashed an advertising campaign in local
television channels and local newspapers pointing out weakness of the
Modi government. It has also taken on the strong presence of Modi on
the Internet to attract young
voters.
The aggressive and sustained Congress campaign in the last few months
has put the BJP on defensive as the state government and the state
unit of the party have issued
numerous denials to the allegations raised by the Congress during
their campaign.
One of the vision documents of Congress which promises to give houses
to women of poor and middle class families at very nominal rates has
become an instant hit among large population of the state as there are
long queues of women outside the party offices to get forms of the
scheme.
Modi has said that the distribution of forms to poor women is cheating
as there is no guarantee that they will come to power. They have not
implemented such schemes in the states where they were in power and
are not distributing forms with the stamp of the central government
and signature of the prime minister, which means that there is no
guarantee that they will provide cheap homes.
