Ahead of LS polls, Cong sets its sights on regaining Vidarbha

MUMBAI: In a bid to regain lost ground in its traditional stronghold, the Congress has set its sight on Vidarbha region. The party has planned two phases of the Jan Sangharsh Yatra in the region to galvanise public sentiments in December, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

So far, Congress has completed three legs of the yatra in western, northern, and central Maharashtra over the last two months.

The fourth leg will kick off in Yavatmal on December 4, and the fifth leg will begin towards the end of December.

Party leaders will be travelling to parts of the Amravati division, including Akola, Buldhana, Wardhana and Amravati district. Congress has planned at least 18 public meetings, including one rally per district.

The party has also planned an interactive session with farmers as part of the yatra.

“There is distress among the common people and farmers against the government and its failed policies. The Jan Sangharsh Yatra will highlight the issues, interact with farmers and expose the government,” said Manikrao Thakre, former state unit chief of the party.

“The political environment is

rapidly changing in our favour and the Yatra will help further in polarising the votes ahead of the elections,” Thakre said.

Vidarbha has been the traditional stronghold of Congress party. However, the number of Congress MPS dropped to zero in 2014 from five in 2009.

“Vidarbha has always been our stronghold, though our strength dropped to zero in 2014. Our party chief Rahul Gandhi visited Vidarbha twice in the last six months. Our state leadership has been concentrating on the region with the clear aim of regaining it from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had won six of 10 Lok Sabha seats and 44 out of 62 Assembly seats in Vidarbha,” said a senior party leader requesting anonymity.

“The two phases of the Yatra will be held to ensure that the issues of the region are properly

highlighted,” added the senior leader.

In a recent review meeting held at the party headquarters in Mumbai, the party discussed which Lok Sabha candidates have the highest potential to win seats. According to party leaders Wardha, Amravati, Gadchiroli-chimur, Buldhana and Chandrapur are the constituencies that can be won easily by the party candidates. The party is likely to field key Vidarbha leaders including Nitin Raut, Mukul Wasnik, Manikrao Thakre, Vijay Wadettiwar, Vilas Muttemwar, Rajendra Mulak from various seats.

The party has also tried to reach out to smaller players like the Bahujan Samaj Party and factions of the Republican Party of India (RPI) led by Jogendra Kawade, Rajendra Gavai and Prakash Ambedkar, respectively.