New Delhi: A host of senior Congress leaders including Ashok Gehlot, Digvijay Singh, Sachin Pilot and BK Hariprasad would descend in Gujarat on October 31 to launch five yatras that will push the grand old party’s message of change in the poll-bound state.
The “Parivartan Sankalp” yatras will travel around 5,450 km over seven days in cars and will cover 168 out of the total 182 assembly constituencies. The massive public outreach program to be launched days before the likely announcement of poll dates by the Election Commission in the first week of November, will include public rallies in each of the 168 assembly segments which will be attended by various senior leaders from across the country.
“Digvijay Singh will flag the yatra on October 31 from Kutch, BK Hari Prasad from Saurashtra, Ashok Gehlot from Vadgam, Sachin Pilot from Jambusar. Pawan Khera and Supriya Shrinate will launch the yatra from Phagwel,” senior party leader Siddhartha Patel told this channel. “It is a big outreach program. We want to cover the entire state. We are going to highlight the ruling BJP’s failures like illicit liquor, exam paper leaks, price rise and unemployment as well as the promises that we have made to the people,” he said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is the AICC observer for the state while others like Mukul Wasnik and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan would also join the yatra during the week. The Congress, which has been in the opposition in Gujarat for 27 years, is pitching the 2022 election as about change. Though a recent door to door campaign flagged the issue, the party managers want to amplify the message among the voters through the week-long Parivartan Sankalp yatra.
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On Oct 31, Gehlot, who reviewed the launch of the yatras with state leaders on October 29, is expected to assure the voters that the Congress would “free” them of BJP’s alleged misrule. He is also likely to flag the violent attack on party’s Tribal MLA Anant Patel on Oct 8 to flag the poor law and order situation in the western state. The yatra would also allow the opposition party to put up a united show and help dispel the notion that the Congress is nowhere in the contest.
“There is a new party AAP in the state. A perception is being created that the Congress is nowhere. But they have no cadre in the state. They only have paid workers and are here to cut our votes like they did in Goa and Uttarakhand. We have urged the Gujarat voters not to let AAP do that again,” AICC in charge of Gujarat Raghu Sharma said.
The Congress had expected that poll dates for Gujarat would have been announced along with Himachal Pradesh as the results for both the states would be out on December 8 but is expecting a formal EC statement around November 2. “The notification process has to be completed by Nov 5. We expect the state will have two phased polls. One towards the end of November and the other in December first week. We are ready for the battle,” said Patel.
