Congress not to target Modi in Gujarat elections

NEW DELHI: The Central Congress leadership has asked its Gujarat unit to refrain from making personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi but to raise people's issues and target BJP policies in run-up to the Assembly polls, slated for later this year, sources said.

After racking their brains for about five hours on Monday, the Congress task force called Gujarat leaders and asked them to prepare unitedly for the Assembly polls to dethrone the BJP which is ruling the state for the past 27 years.

As part of the strategy, the party will highlight the state government's failure particularly during Covid and post-Covid.

Notably, the Congress has witnessed some high profile exits in recent past besides suffering a blow in local body elections. Hardik Patel, who spearheaded the Patidar protest, has also changed his loyalty and joined the BJP.

Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K.C. Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Ajay Maken, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Congress' poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu were present in the meeting of the task force.

In the last Assembly polls, the party won 77 seats but many MLAs have switched sides since then.

The Gujarat Congress had won a record breaking 149 seats with a 55.55 per cent vote share in the 1985 Assembly elections, while the BJP could bag only 11 seats with a 14.96 per cent vote share.

In the 2012 elections, the Congress's vote share declined to 38.93 per cent, whereas the BJP vote share jumped to 47.85 per cent.

Aam Aadmi Party's threat to the Congress also figured in the discussion as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday talked about his government in Delhi and governance in Gujarat.

Citing BJP's 17-member delegation's two-day visit to Delhi for a reality check of schools and Mohalla Clinics, Kejriwal said: "Even after two-days' visit, they could not find any shortcomings. This shows the performance of the AAP government in Delhi."

Kejriwal further said: "The AAP government always welcomes constructive suggestions and criticism if it is good for the people at large. If any lapses are brought to our knowledge, we act at the earliest."