Cong showcases CMs, hardsells development

When Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna talks about the giant leaps in Information Technology in his state as compared to Gujarat, it8217;s not an off-the-cuff remark.

And when Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit stresses on how her state has overtaken Gujarat on the capita income front, she8217;s not spelling out her government8217;s economic strides. This is the Congress8217; campaign to counter the BJP, which is banking on the Hindutva card.

With six chief ministers from Congress-ruled states arriving in Gujarat, the party think-tank is trying to use their track-record to turn votes in its favour.

8216;8216;Harmony, law and order and tranquillity are the prerequisites for industrial development. In their absence, it8217;s difficult for business to survive. The BJP has thrown Gujarat into a cycle of violence,8217;8217; says Krishna, going on to highlight how his government provided a roof above the head to five lakh people in his state.

Dixit8217;s strategy is the same, but she chooses to harp on the capita income. 8216;8216;I am coming here after three years and it8217;s painful to see that Gujarat has gone from bad to worse. Come to Delhi and see how the quality of air has improved, see how the per capita income of people has increased. This with no help from the Centre,8217;8217; she says.

And as these cosmopolitan chief ministers sweat it out in urban areas, their Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh counterparts are busy focussing on the tribal areas. Ashok Gehlot is travelling along the tribal belt on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border while Ajit Jogi hovers around the tribal hinterlands in Panchmahals and south Gujarat.

Congress spokesman Anil Shastri says this is an attempt to let people see how different the Congress-ruled states are. 8216;8216;The chief ministers are highlighting effective governance in their states,8217;8217; he says.

Sensing an anti-incumbency factor at the constituency level, the Congress has drafted three election observers each in all constituencies in the state, including the prestigious Maninagar. 8216;8216;Wresting Maninagar is difficult but we8217;ll make it difficult for Modi,8217;8217; says a Congress leader.

The party has also roped in the services of professional agencies to carry out informal surveys on the mood swings of voters. 8216;8216;They8217;re informal surveys but they help us gauge the electorate8217;s mood,8217;8217; says Shastri.