Solan, October 30: The Congress has planned an extensive campaign in its 26 border Assembly seats. The party has decided that leaders from Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana, which share borders with these constituencies, will campaign in favour of the party leaders.
A strategy to undertake extensive campaigning in 20 to 26 such seats is being finalised by the Congress’ central election committee constituted for these elections.
The constituencies like Nalagarh and Anandpur Sahib share borders with Punjab, while Doon and Kasauli are close to Haryana. Nurpur, Fatehpur and Indora in Kangra and Una, Haroli and Gagret in Una are also the constituencies where Congress leaders from other states will campaign. The constituencies like Shri Naina Devi in Bilaspur are the other bordering seats where the AICC will send leaders from other states.
Since people residing in the bordering areas have close relatives in the neighbouring states, Congress leaders feel extensive campaigning in these areas can improve the party’s poll prospects.
With less than three weeks left for voting, the Congress is leaving no stone unturned to garner maximum support for its candidates. The party is lagging behind in campaigning vis-à-vis the BJP, which had already convened Dalit rallies in all its constituencies along with campaigning undertaken by its women cell. The Congress, on the other hand, is now trying to put its flock together.
While campaigning in the bordering areas by political leaders from other states is not new, it remains to be seen if it will have any sizeable impact on the poll prospects of the Congress candidates. Interestingly, bordering seats like Kasauli and Nalagarh where Congress leaders had campaigned in the last elections were wrested by the BJP while an independent candidate had won from the Paonta Sahib seat.
