Cong draws up plan to hold series of rallies

Chandigarh : After losing time in intra-party squabbling, the Congress has decided to catapult itself into election mode. Charged after the encouragement received at the All-India Congress Committee plenary session, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh has announced his programme as a run-up to the poll. In a strategy devised by Amarinder Singh himself, the Congress does not want to be caught unawares just in case reports of the possibility of relatively early elections in the state come true. He has told his party leaders that it would be most appropriate to start a series of rallies, road shows, etc while the rival the SAD-BJP leadership has preferred to take a sabbatical due to the cold winter. Beginning tomorrow, the Congress campaign will start from Sangrur in the Malwa region, where the Congress is planning a big rally. After Sangrur, over the fortnight the Congress will hold rallies in Tarn Taran on December 24, a political conference at the Jor Mela in Fatehgarh Sahib on December 27 , another rally at Mohali on January 9 and a political function during the Maghi Mela at Muktsar on January 14 . Sources in the party said all programmes had been meticulously planned with a senior leader from the PPCC coordinating the arrangements, under the leadership of a local leader at all places where the rallies and road shows will be held. The PCC sources disclosed that the party this time had tried to spread out the programmes uniformly in Malwa, Majha and Doaba. A close aide of Amarinder Singh told The Tribune that the PPCC president had personally drawn up the party programme for the next few weeks.His aim was to create a uniform impact everywhere. The mass contact programme of the Congress, scheduled after the constitution of the PCC and the District Congress Committees, was delayed earlier due to the reshuffle in the AICC. The changes in Delhi are expected to lead to a change of general secretaries in charge, etc. Amarinder Singh has now decided to go ahead with his programme by assigning duties to the local leaders. But at the same time he has made it clear that assigning duties pertaining to the arrangements for party programmes should not be construed as a guarantee of appointment to particular posts. The possibility of early elections has gained ground after Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal gave a hint to this effect as also in the backdrop of reports that the Election Commission of India may advance the Punjab elections.