By Nitin Mahajan
Ahead of the Assembly polls in Assam, the Congress was all but written off by the media and political pundits. However, it seems that the grand old party is fighting back.
There has been a change in the Congress strategy with the local Assam unit getting a full mentoring and support from one of the few leaders that has been able to defeat Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party in the recent past.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has emerged as the leader that is brimming with confidence and fighting spirit to take on the might of the BJP.
Sources in the Congress stated that with local strong man Tarun Gogoi passing away, the Assam Congress was devoid of any leaders that could see the party through the tough assembly polls.
With the Congress and BJP in a direct fight in Assam the party high command did not want to lose out on the saffron party’s well oiled election machinery.
This was the reason that party’s interim chief Sonia Gandhi deployed the chhattisgarh chief minister to the northeast state. It was felt that a master strategist and senior leader Baghel would be able to better steer the party which lacked proper leadership in Assam.
The battle in Assam is one of prestige for the Congress as only here the party is some sort of direct contest with the BJP. In the remaining assembly contests, apart from Puducherry, the party relies on its allies for securing power.
The party hopes that Bhupesh Baghel’s strategy of reaching out to the grass roots pays dividends and it is able to come back to power in the state’s 126 member Assembly.
BJP is seeking a reelection in the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.