In a politically strategic move, the Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh is trying to break free from his “maharaja” image by shaking hands with the public instead of addressing them over the loudspeaker.
Given another chance by the party high command to woo the masses and lead the party in the State, Capt Amarinder has decided to launch a one-to-one campaign instead of holding mass rallies in the State in a run up to State Assembly polls, scheduled to be held in February 2017.
His decision is expected to come into effect soon after the Bathinda rally on December 15, where he will officially takes over the charge as new Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president and sound the poll bugle.
The move is also been seen as an attempt by Capt Amarinder to please the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as the one-to-one contact with the people is in sync with the young Congress scion’s policy.
Rahul is known to travel as a common man by trains and stop for refreshments anytime and anywhere. On the other hand, Capt Amarinder’s style of functioning has, so far, been almost completely opposite as he has been travelling by cars and hardly mingling with the crowd.
In an apparent attempt to make a clear cut departure from his perceived image of a politician with a stiff upper lip, the Patiala Royal has decided to take on the streets to mingle with the crowd against the ruling SAD-BJP Government.
“The Congress will try to reach out to the people more with policy and programmes than holding too many big rallies,” said Capt Amarinder.
Capt Amarinder, during his previous tenure as the State party chief and also the Chief Minister, has been criticised by his party colleagues for being inaccessible to them, what to talk of the common man.
“After Bathinda rally, the party would not hold any big rally just to go into a number game. The Bathinda rally was organised in response to Sukhbir Badal’s challenge. We would mainly focus on small public meetings, making personal contact with the people, instead of going from one place to another, addressing a huge crowd, and come back. We would go among people, the youth, employees, farmers…discuss their
problems, and redressal,”
a senior Congress leader told The Pioneer.
During 2014 lok Sabha elections, Capt Amarinder brought a change in his style of functioning and tried to cover maximum areas in Amritsar constituency, despite lack of time.
“We have sufficient time till 2017…to cover each village, each locality, each section of the society…we will get in touch with one and all,” said the Congress leader.
Rahul Gandhi has, time and again, stressed on making personal contact with the masses and involving grass root level workers in the decision making. Post 2012 poll analysis, Rahul has discovered that the state leadership was “detached” from the State and grass root level and even it operated without involving them.
At that time, it was alleged that those candidates have been allotted tickets who were not even known by the electorates of the constituency. Rahul had then even expressed his opposition to the idea of allocating “quota” to senior leaders of nominating the candidates of their choice, instead of taking advice of those who are functioning at the grass root levels and are in close touch with the common man.