MCD elections: Amarinder, Sidhu, Raj Babbar, Sachin Pilot to campaign for Congress

A senior party functionary said Punjab’s finance minister Manpreet Badal, Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda, Sachin Pilot from Rajasthan and former MP and Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar will campaign for party candidates in different municipal wards.

The Congress will bring its popular leaders from neighbouring states to campaign for the party in the April 23 municipal elections.

(From left) Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken, senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Jyotiraditya Scindia and PC Chacko released a draft blueprint for the MCD elections on March 6. (Ravi Choudhary/HT Photo)

The party had announced that Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and his minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will hold rallies in Delhi. Singh will attend a public reception in west Delhi on March 30.

Party sources on Friday told HT that apart from the Punjab CM, leaders from Rajasthan , Haryana and UP will also help the Congress campaign.

A senior party functionary said Punjab’s finance minister Manpreet Badal, Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda, Sachin Pilot from Rajasthan and former MP and Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar will campaign for party candidates in different municipal wards.

Depending on the dominance of the population from a particular state, the leaders from that region will be chosen to campaign there, the leader told HT.

The Hoodas may be roped in for campaigning in the Jat-dominated areas or villages and Badal is likely to be sent to localities where Punjabis and Sikhs are in majority. Similarly, Babbar will be seen seeking votes in colonies where purvanchalis and other UP areas live.

He said Haryana leader Ajay Sharma, who was All India Congress Committee (AICC) coordinator and campaign in charge during Punjab assembly elections, has been appointed the incharge for Delhi municipal elections. Sharma, along with Delhi Congress chief spokesperson Sharmishta Mukherjee, will prepare the schedule for the regional leaders’ rallies.

“The schedule for the rallies is yet to be worked out. It will depend on the demands of the candidates. They may send in their request, inviting a particular leader for canvassing. In consultation with state affairs in charge PC Chacko, city unit chief Ajay Maken, and Sharmishtaji, we will decide the day, time, and venue for the programme,” Sharma said.

Maken conducted a Facebook live on Friday, launching party’s social media campaign –‘Dilli ki baat, Dil ke saath’. He discussed a road map to make three civic bodies self-reliant. Aman Panwar, incharge legal affairs, Delhi Congress, said the hour-long session was viewed by 8,000 people and around 2,000 viewers posted their questions. “Due to the time limit, Maken could only respond to 220 questions,” he said.