Cong puts best foot forward

NEWDELHI: After its lackadaisical attitude in Maharashtra and Haryana, the Congress is putting its best foot forward in Jharkhand, drawing up an elaborate strategy and ensuring its alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) remains strong on the ground.

The party has formulated a strategy for each phase and is changing its list of star campaigners, said a Congress functionary involved in election management in the tribal-dominated state.

The polling for the 81-member

Jharkhand assembly will be held in five phases, starting from November 30 and concluding on December 20. The results will be declared on December 23.

Under their pre-poll agreement, the Congress is contesting 31 seats, the JMM 43 seats and the RJD seven. In the first list of star campaigners, the name of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was missing because she was not available on the requested dates. Her name was included in the second list after she agreed, the functionary quoted above said.

While Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s programme was yet to be finalised, her son Rahul Gandhi will open his campaign with an election rally at Simdega on December 2.

Similarly, the name of Youth Congress president Srinivas BV was included in the second list following a demand from a section of the young leaders in the state.

“This is perhaps the first time that we are changing the list of star campaigners in every phase in any state election,” another Congress leader said. “We are holding joint rallies and also campaigning together in several constituencies to send a strong message of alliance unity among the workers at the ground level.”