Lamba in driver’s seat
Congress national spokesperson Alka Lamba, appointed in-charge of media activities for the Punjab polls, is leaving no stone unturned to get her party’s message across. After she took charge, the state Congress is now issuing press statements, sending messages for interviews, and organising pressers of Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and other party leaders. At the media interactions, Lamba can be seen steering and guiding the party leaders by whispering key points to them, besides ensuring that they focus on issues at hand and do not digress. After the EC announced the poll schedule, imposing restrictions on campaign rallies and road shows, a virtual press meet by the PPCC chief was also quickly organised. Shifting gears for effective communication, shall we say? heading to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Ferozepur on January 5 were being shown at a press conference in Chandigarh the other day. When the state general secretary played the videos on a projector, the journalist remarked that buses shown parked on roadsides had no passengers. Sharma did not like the comment and told the web journalist not to label BJP leaders as outsiders. “I am requesting you with folded hands to fair to the BJP. We are also Punjabis. You treat us as if we are outsiders,” said Sharma, insinuating that some journalists get biased against the BJP.