After the victory in local body polls in Gujarat, the Congress feels it should focus on urban issues, promote credible faces and ensure unity.
After the victory in local body polls in Gujarat, the Congress feels it should focus on urban issues, promote credible faces and ensure unity. Party sources said the BJP high command is unlikely to replace chief minister Anandiben Patel.
According to Congress leaders, the party is ahead of the BJP in about 90 Assembly in these elections. This means if the Assembly polls are held today, the trends are against the BJP.
They said although the BJP has won all six municipal corporations — Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar — the Congress’ numbers in these corporations have increased.
“The results in the local body elections have already boosted the morale of the rank and file. Now, we not only have to maintain this tempo, but also make the party more aggressive against the government,” said a senior party leader from Gujarat.
He said: “We will have to strengthen our support base in rural areas after winning the zila parishads and block parishads. The newly-elected office-bearers would press for powers with the state government.”
Party sources said the continuance of Ms Patel as CM could help the party as it might intensify factional fights in the state BJP. “We have to regain our support base in urban areas, especially among unorganised sectors, poor and lower middle-class, which has not been benefiting from the BJP government.”
Besides, the party has to promote credible faces, attract “apolitical” leaders working in different fields, professionals and thus emerge as a credible alternative to the BJP, which is facing the incumbency factor and a split in its vote-bank.
Meanwhile, Assam CM Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said the setback for the BJP in Gujarat is a clear indication that the much-hyped Gujarat model of development is a “dismal failure”.
In a statement, Mr Gogoi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much-touted Gujarat model of development has been a dismal failure as people in the rural areas have outrightly rejected it in the just-concluded Panchayat elections.
“There is disenchantment everywhere with people rejecting the BJP one after the other.
“Delhi, Uttarakhand, Bihar and now Gujarat Panchayat elections have proved that the people have become alienated from the BJP and are fed up with its promises during just one- and-a-half-year of its rule at the Centre,” Mr Gogoi said.
