Congress looks forward to Rahul Gandhi to set the poll campaign tune

BHUBANESWAR: As Congress president Rahul Gandhi arrives on a day-long visit to the Capital City on Friday, there is a perceptible buzz in the political circles of the State. 

All eyes are on what stand Rahul will take at various programmes lined up during his visit, that include addressing a public rally and interacting with public at a ‘Town Hall’ event. Whether his focus will be on national politics with usual attacks on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi or he will take on the Naveen Patnaik Government, taking into account the political situation in Odisha and the aggressive efforts for revival by the State Congress will be keenly watched.

The issue has assumed significance as the national leadership of Congress, during the UPA-I and II period or after, has never been very critical of Naveen Patnaik Government. On the other hand, all the national leaders visiting Odisha have always praised the BJD supremo and his Government.
The situation has, however, changed a lot in the recent months with the State Congress led by Niranjan Patnaik launching a strident campaign against the Naveen Government in a fervent bid to revive its standing in the State. The party, which has ceded the principal opposition space to the BJP, is on a constant downslide, battling intense in-fighting and losing its top leaders to the rival BJD and BJP one after another. 

The latest jolt came on the eve of Rahul’s visit when several leaders including two sitting MLAs quit the party, one of whom joined the BJD on Thursday. The party has also been compelled to expel senior leaders including former Union minister Srikant Jena to contain the infighting and indiscipline in party ranks.

The Congress president’s visit at the time when the State is readying for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls is looked forward with great hope and enthusiasm by the party organisation. His visit is expected to boost the morale and spirit of the party leaders and workers.

While the party has arranged a series of public engagements for the party chief, Rahul is also scheduled to meet party functionaries at Congress Bhawan before returning to Delhi in the evening. He will attend ‘The Odisha Dialogue’ organised by a leading vernacular daily as part of its centenary year celebrations at 10.30 am. He will then proceed for ‘Parivartan Sankalp Samavesh’ at Tamando Mini Stadium at 2.30 pm. 

Congress leaders said this is the first of Rahul’s visits to Odisha in the run-up to the polls. The Congress president will visit Odisha every month till the general elections, AICC Odisha in-charge Jitendra Singh said.

He said the party woud target both the ruling BJD and the BJP, which have betrayed the people of Odisha.