Unable to polarize state elections, BJP copying our poll guarantees, says Congress

Congress leaders from Telangana and Rajasthan said that the BJP had understood that its polarization tactic had failed in wooing voters and the saffron party was now taking a leaf out of the Congress's book to attract voters, reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi: The BJP has been unable to polarize the five state polls and for the first time the saffron party has been forced to follow the Congress agenda based on people-centric policies and social welfare guarantees, strategists of the grand old party said on Tuesday. “The BJP tried to raise the issue of terrorism in Rajasthan by highlighting the killing of a tailor in Udaipur but ignored the quick action by the state police. In fact, names of some BJP leaders had been found linked to the crime.

They tried to divide voters in other states also but have been forced for the first time to follow our agenda which is based on people-centric policies and social welfare guarantees. They have copied our style and have made similar promises in the states,” AICC secretary in charge of Rajasthan Qazi Nizamuddin told ETV Bharat. Qazi said that in all the five states the Congress has “talked about jobs, poverty alleviation, women and youth empowerment and a robust plan for agriculture in terms of the work done by the party governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and the promises in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram if we come to power”.

“In party ruled states some of the laudatory themes will continue to deliver once we return to power,” he said. According to the AICC secretary, the guarantees issued by the party in the southern states as well as in the other poll-bound states had been formulated taking into consideration the directives from the high command as well as the feedback obtained from the voters.

“For instance, Rajasthan manifesto committee chairman CP Joshi received over 3 crore suggestions from the people and then sifted through them to work out the document,” said Qazi. “Whether it is Rajasthan, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh everywhere the BJP is trying to make similar or even bigger promises but never bothered to address the issues impacting the people over the past years. Now it has realised that the divisive agenda will not work as the voters have become wiser and evaluate the work and the assurances made by the political parties,” he said.

AICC secretary in charge of Telangana Rohit Chaudhary said the party had invited former chief Sonia Gandhi, who played a role in the creation of the state to announce the six guarantees “to send out a message to the voters”. “The presentation of guarantees instead of just promises helped the party project a picture of seriousness and also showcased that we do our homework and evaluate availability of financial resources before making the promises.

We also highlighted how the party had a track record of keeping the poll promises unlike the BJP which forgets them conveniently. They have promised a Uniform Civil Code in Telangana where they hardly have a chance to form a government,” Chaudhary told ETV Bharat. According to both Nizamuddin and Chaudhary, the party’s promise of a caste census “is also gaining traction among the voters as it merges well with the Congress’ social welfare agenda besides the cautionary note to the voters that problems like price rise and joblessness would return if they opted for the saffron party”.