Cong ends city campaign on a damp note

MUMBAI, Sept 9: Given the public discontent with the Shiv Sena-BJP government, the Congress campaign for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elect...

MUMBAI, Sept 9: Given the public discontent with the Shiv Sena-BJP government, the Congress campaign for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections could have been aggressive and high-profile. However, party workers themselves are wondering why it turned out to be so lacklustre and issue-less. May be a public meeting of party president Sonia Gandhi 8212; and an accompanying upbeat mood 8212; would have lifted the campaign out of the doldrums but the city and party workers got the second best instead 8212; Dr Manmohan Singh.

With his trademark soft-spokenness and emphasis on being propah, Singh was the gentleman politician in the last leg of the party8217;s campaign in the city this evening. Predictably the focus was on BJP-led government8217;s management of the Kargil intrusion. 8220;If the Lok Sabha had not been dissolved, this government would have been voted out of power for its inept handling of the intrusion. They were so scared that they even refused to call a Rajya Sabha session,8221; said Singh to a small group of party workers and public at the party8217;s city headquarters minutes before the clock inched to 5 pm, marking the close of the campaign.

His emphasis was on 8220;stability8221; and how only the Congress has proved capable of providing stable governments and deserved a chance this time. 8220;This election is not a personalised fight between Sonia Gandhi and Vajpayee; it8217;s a battle between two ideologies, one which unites the country and takes it on the path of progress and the other which divides the people to keep itself going. Murli Deora has always been a Congressman and reflects the party ideology. Please vote for him and the three other Congress candidates in the city,8221; said Singh. Deora is the city president of the party and Congress candidate for the prestigious Mumbai South seat.

Efforts were made to get Gandhi to Mumbai towards the close of the campaign schedule. Her visit to Pune on Wednesday made Congressmen in the city hopeful that Gandhi would include Mumbai in her itinerary too. It would have made a difference, say the second rung leaders, especially after the joint rally of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Wednesday to conclude the BJP-Sena8217;s campaign. Party sources say that requests were made to Gandhi and the possibility of her meetings here was explored.

However, her campaign managers limited her presence to Pune since Mumbai was perceived to be a high security risk zone for her and a public meeting would have increased the risk. Deora was instrumental in bringing Gandhi to the city for a public meeting in Shivaji Park last year and he says he tried his best this time too. Alternate plans were under consideration that Gandhi could visit certain constituencies across the city 8212; North-East for Gurudas Kamat, North-West for Sunil Dutt and South for Deora 8212; in the manner that Rajiv did in early May 1991 instead of a large public rally. That too was put off for security reasons.

Dr Singh was the next best choice but party workers still feel that Gandhi8217;s presence in the city would have made a positive difference to candidates, particularly those that are on a soft wicket. 8220;Basically our organisation and planning this time was very poor, we worked sporadically. May be it showed in the campaign. Whatever was done was the efforts of individual candidates; the party didn8217;t do much,8221; laments an office-bearer. Party8217;s internal squabbles also put a dampener on the campaign as disgruntled partymen who were hopeful of nomination and failed to get one stayed out of the campaign. Now, of course, the Congress can only hope for the best.