 "Cong brainstorms media strategy for D-Day")
With barely three days left for the Lok Sabha elections to get over, the Congress is busy firming up its media strategy for May 16 when the results will be out. The party is keen that a uniform, coordinated stand is taken by Congress spokespersons while addressing the media. The party's communication department chief Ajay Maken is set to hold a meeting of all spokespersons on May 15 to brief them on how to tackle the media.
According to sources, the party is weighing all possible scenarios: should it get less than 100 seats, then it would adopt Rajiv Gandhi's stance in 1989 - sit in Opposition saying the party doesn't have the numbers.
However, if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not cross 200-220 - notwithstanding its much-vaunted claims - then the Congress would raise questions on how the BJP would be able to cough up the required numbers to cross the 272-mark. The Congress spokespersons would raise questions on where the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance would get more allies from.
On the eve of elections, the party had revamped its panel of spokespersons by including senior leaders such as finance minister P Chidambaram, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, commerce minister Anand Sharma and party general-secretary Mukul Wasnik, designating them as 'senior spokespersons'.
Media-savvy Shashi Tharoor, 'young gun' Jyotiraditya Scindia and Randeep Surjewala were also added to the existing panel of spokespersons.
The Congress knows full well that it has its back against the wall and, hence, it wants its spokespersons to be well-prepared to face the media onslaught on the 16th and defend the party in the best manner possible.
According to sources, the party is weighing all possible scenarios: should it get less than 100 seats, then it would adopt Rajiv Gandhi's stance in 1989 - sit in Opposition saying the party doesn't have the numbers.
However, if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not cross 200-220 - notwithstanding its much-vaunted claims - then the Congress would raise questions on how the BJP would be able to cough up the required numbers to cross the 272-mark. The Congress spokespersons would raise questions on where the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance would get more allies from.
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Other than the overall national scene, the Congress is also brainstorming over the probable poll outcomes in crucial states and what line party spokesperson should adopt if the BJP's performance turns out to be brilliant or the Congress is wiped out.
On the eve of elections, the party had revamped its panel of spokespersons by including senior leaders such as finance minister P Chidambaram, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, commerce minister Anand Sharma and party general-secretary Mukul Wasnik, designating them as 'senior spokespersons'.
Media-savvy Shashi Tharoor, 'young gun' Jyotiraditya Scindia and Randeep Surjewala were also added to the existing panel of spokespersons.
The Congress knows full well that it has its back against the wall and, hence, it wants its spokespersons to be well-prepared to face the media onslaught on the 16th and defend the party in the best manner possible.