‘Congress holding programmes to energise workers in Delhi’

With an eye on Delhi Assembly bypolls after the disqualification of 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) is holding programmes to energise party workers in the city.

The Congress had been in power for three consecutive terms in Delhi until 2013, but drew a blank in the last Assembly elections held in 2015. Viewing the bypolls as an opportunity, the Congress is trying its best to make a comeback in the state Assembly.

Sharmistha Mukherjee, chief spokesperson and in-charge of the communication wing of the DPCC, told The Sunday Guardian: “We are organising programmes to energise workers in every district of Delhi. The party has assigned specific roles to DPCC office bearers to strengthen its workers on the ground. There is resentment among voters against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi, and this will benefit the Congress in the upcoming bypolls.”

Though the party lost in the recently held bypoll in the Bawana Assembly constituency, Mukherjee is confident of winning the upcoming Assembly bypolls.

“Under the leadership of Ajay Maken, the Congress has been performing the role of Opposition to the AAP in Delhi since 2015. The Congress has led many agitations against the government’s anti-people decision in the state and have received great support from the people,” Mukherjee said.

“Voters in Delhi are also annoyed with the BJP due to its anti-people decisions like demonetisation and the implementation of a complex Goods and the Services Tax (GST). The voters are waiting to see a change and they have great expectations from the Congress,” Mukherjee added.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had swept to power with 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly, leaving only three seats to the BJP and nil to the Congress in the polls held in 2015.