Punjab polls: Congress forced to rework strategy

The BJP rebel Navjot Singh Sidhu and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal are making the Punjab battle tough for the Congress whose leaders have realised that the party has to modify its electoral strategy urgently.

Mr Sidhu’s entry in the election campaign could be a game changer because he is emeging as a crowd puller, viewed the Punjab Congress leaders.

The Congress has made atleast three attempts to bring Mr Sidhu into the party after he resigned from the Rajya Sabha. Even Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh made a formal appeal in this regard, but Mr Sidhu moved closer to the AAP and the talk in the political circles is that he can join the Kejriwal-led party in the coming days.

Asked whether Prashant Kishor’s strategy is working in Punjab at the ground level, a Congress MP who did not wish to be named, said Mr Kishor has prepared the plan but new elements have emerged in the battle. Therefore, we have to modify our strategy.

The Congress party has engaged Mr Kishor, a poll strategist, in Punjab as well as Uttar Pradesh.

A Congress strategist said that Mr Kejriwal is more dangerous than the Prime Miniser Narendra Modi. The AAP’s primary objective is to create a space for itself by damanging the Congress. And for that purpose it is focussing on smaller states. After Punjab, it will concentrate on the Goa polls in 2017.

Although the Shiromani Akali Dal is the main target of the AAP, Mr Sidhu and Mr Kerjiwal can succeed only by damaging the Congress party. This is because the Congress is the main Opposition and the main hurdle in their quest to come to power.

A former chief minister said the Congress cannot afford to lose the Punjab polls after remaining out of power for the last ten years. The high command should give Amrinder Singh a free hand in the election right from selection of candidates. “ Unless we discredit the AAP, expose it on governance in Delhi, we cannot win the Punjab battle ,” a party leader said.

The Congress’ main objective is to check the BJP in Uttar Pradesh polls at any cost.If it is defeated then the rsults will have a bearing on the coming Assembly elections in five states. Although the Congress has projected a CM candidate in UP, its objective is to increase numbers by making dent in the BJP’s support base.

“ If BJP loses UP,then it will have a bearing on the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand,Goa, Manipur,Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat next year,” Congress strategist said.