Delhi MCD polls: Congress guns join big fight, Rahul Gandhi to address convention

Buoyed by the by-elections held in 13 wards last year, the party is not in mood to leave any stone unturned.

Having failed to earn favourable results in civic polls held recently in Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, and Chandigarh, the Congress in Delhi has pitched in its national leadership for upcoming municipal elections in the national capital scheduled in April. To boost the morale of the party workers, the Congress has planned a convention at Ramlila Maidan on Tuesday, which is to be addressed by party vice-president, Rahul Gandhi.

To boost the morale of the party workers, the Congress has planned a convention at Ramlila Maidan on Tuesday, which is to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi, party vice-president. (HT PHOTO)

On Monday, the party also brought former union finance minister P Chidamabaram and another leader Jyotiraditya Scindia who unveiled a draft blueprint to restructure the three cash-strapped civic bodies and make them financially self-sufficient.

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In assembly elections, the party has drawn a blank. However, buoyed by the bye-elections held in 13 wards last year, the party is not in mood to leave any stone unturned. The Congress and AAP had won five seats while the BJP was restricted to only three wards.

Chhattar Singh, a senior party functionary said around 26, 000 workers are likely to attend the convention. “We have asked two people from each polling booth. We have around 13, 500 booths in the city. Hence, we are expecting at least 26, 000 people in Ramlila Maidan on Tuesday. We have arranged 600 buses to ferry them. However, I am informed the workers have engaged 300 more buses for the function,” he said.