Winnability is main mantra for Congress

As each and every seat will be crucial, the Congress this time is in no mood to take any risks, by treading the high moral ground. Setting winnability as the only criteria in ticket-distribution, the decision asking the PCC Presidents not to contest polls will be given a go-by and similarly tainted leaders like former Railway Minister Pawan Bansal, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Suresh Kalmadi and Jagdish Tytler may all be given tickets.

Among the PCC Presidents, Rajasthan PCC President Sachin Pilot, Haryana PCC President Ashok Tanwar, Punjab PCC President Prakash Bajwa and MP, PCC President Arun Yadav stand a strong chance of contesting the elections.

At the Congress Campaign Committee meeting chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, which was also attended by PM Manmohan Singh and AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, the thrust of most speakers was not to take the Lok Sabha polls lightly in the wake of the results of the opinion polls. All the candidates should have strong credentials, who can put up a challenge to the pro-Modi and AAP wave.

At the meeting, the leaders were of the opinion to field new candidates, especially popular faces, who can catch the eye of the common people.

Going by the view, film stars Naghma and Jayaprada, who are angling for the Congress tickets from Uttar Pradesh, may get the green signal. Almost all the leaders, who spoke in the meeting, asked for padyatras and personal door-to-door contacts with the people at the constituency level, to counter the campaign of AAP. Sources stated that these padayatras are meant for candidates to personally connect with the people, while Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will address rallies across the country.

At the outset, Sonia Gandhi outlined the campaign themes, before throwing open the floor for suggestions from the members. She underlined the secular ethos of the Congress, contrasting it with the communal politics of the Saffron Brigade. Sonia Gandhi emphasized that the Congress should remain firm on it, while also focussing on the flagship programmes of the UPA government.

She underlined the need for making the people aware of the rights-based entitlements approach of the Congress, for empowering the people. This for the first time that right to work, right to education and right to food have been made legal entitlements for the common people. In fact, Rahul Gandhi has also proposed right to healthcare.

Apart from Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Congress Campaign Committee has 50 members. At the meeting, eight members were not present, like P Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Luizinho Faleiro, Mukul Wasnik, Ajay Maken, Kamal Nath, Jairam Ramesh and Salman Khurshid.

As the Congress Working Committee (CWC) members have already been consulted and their suggestions were elicited on the campaign issues and campaign themes that required to be highlighted by the party, they did not speak at the meeting on Thursday.

Of the 42 members present on the occasion, 17 members spoke, giving a number of suggestions.

In her winding up remarks, Sonia Gandhi said these suggestions will be borne in mind when the blueprint of the campaign will be readied.