17 February,2017 08:49 AM IST | | Laxman Singh
In a bid to woo north Indians and Muslims, the general secretaries of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Digvijay Singh and Shakeel Ahmad will visit Mumbai to campaign for BMC polls
Digvijay Singh and Shakeel Ahmed
Digvijay Singh
After facing infighting within party and controversies over ticket distribution, the Mumbai Congress has something to cheer. It has managed to take on board many national leaders in campaigning for the crucial BMC election scheduled next week.
In a bid to woo north Indians and Muslims, the general secretaries of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Digvijay Singh and Shakeel Ahmad will visit the city today. According to the party sources, Singh will attend a 'litti chokha' function and interact with a few north Indian candidates who are contesting the elections and people from the community on Friday. He will then speak to the media regarding the party's agenda on the civic polls.
Shakeel Ahmed
In another move to save its traditional Muslim voters who are now inclined towards another political alternative, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), former minister Ahmad will take part in a public rally in Govandi area. The Congress has organised the second such rally in Govandi after noting the rise of AIMIM that could make possible dent in the Congress' voter bank.
Speaking to mid-day, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) president Sanjay Nirupam said, "Digvijay ji will meet party leaders in city and interact with media on Friday. He will highlight BJP and Sena's corruption and scam-run governance and put forward Congress's development agenda."
Earlier, former ministers Shahi Tharoor, P Chidambaram and Manish Tewari had also visited the city in a bid to put up a united picture of the party, that is mired in infighting.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, former minister Jyotiraditya Scindia took part in a pre-poll road show that passed through Andheri, Shanbaug, Marol Maroshi and Jogeshwari East.
Local leaders, who were otherwise at odds due to infighting, stepped in for campaigning after senior leaders in Delhi issued directions. Most city leaders had announced that they would not campaign for BMC elections.
