Relegated to the third position in Delhi, Congress today pressed into service an array of its heavywieghts, who include current and former Chief Ministers and union ministers, to oversee its campaign in Assembly elections.
Seven senior leaders have been put in charge of one Lok Sabha constituency each in the national capital, Congress sources said. Delhi has 70 assembly and seven Lok Sabha seats and each leader will monitor campaign in 10 assembly seats.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will oversee the electioneering in 10 assembly seats falling under the South Delhi Lok Sabha seat while Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh will monitor it in West Delhi.
Former union ministers Salman Khurshid, C P Joshi, Anand Sharma and Pawan Kumar Bansal will overseel campaign of party candidates in assembly seats coming under North East Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi and North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituencies.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will oversee campaign in Chandni Chowk.
These leaders, party sources, said will coordinate with candidates to ensure that the party's campaign goes on vigrously and effectively to counter rival BJP and AAP, two parties seen as principal contenders for power in Delhi.
BJP today also pushed some of its big guns into Delhi's electoral battle, asking its Union Cabinet ministers and a chief minister to campaign for the February 7 elections in which it is involved in a tough fight against Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP.
As the countdown for the high-stakes poll battle begins, Human Resource Minister Smriti Irani and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj hit the campaign trail today addressing several rallies in South and North West Delhi.
The party also roped in Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who held a public meeting in Bijwasan area of South West Delhi amid indications that more union ministers and central leaders will hit the roads in the next few days.
