Fearing poaching, Congress sends observers to four states ahead of result day

The Congress has sent observers to Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur to thwart any attempts by opponents to poach its MLAs soon after the declaration of Assembly election results in these states.

In 2017, the Congress despite emerging as the single largest party in Goa and Manipur was outwitted by the BJP in stitching alliances and keeping its flock together, leading to the opportunity being used by the saffron party to form government in these states.

Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singh Deo, party general secretary Mukul Wasnik and Lok Sabha MP Vincent Pala have been sent to Manipur in addition to former Union minister Jairam Ramesh who is already overseeing the post-poll scenario in the state.

To ensure that there is no crossing over of MLAs to the opponent’s camp, party observers and in-charges have reportedly been instructed to keep an eye on newly-elected legislators and inform the central leadership on the same on result day (March 10).

With exit polls predicting a hung assembly in Goa, Congress high command has sent party heavyweights like Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar and former finance minister P Chidambaram to hold talks for possible alliances. Shivakumar will stay put in Goa till the next government is formed in the state.

Rajya Sabha MP Deependra Hooda and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel have been given charge of Uttarakhand, where the Congress is confident of reaching the majority mark.

Anticipating a hung Assembly in Punjab, the Congress has asked senior leader Ajay Maken to go to Chandigarh and chart out the next course of action for the party. Reports say the party is trying to woo candidates from the Opposition parties, who had left the Congress to contest the polls.

While the state in-charges have been asked to be at their respective states from March 10, the Congress has also kept a legal team on the standby in the event of any irregularities.

The party which lost the opportunity to come to power in Goa and Manipur by a whisker in 2017 doesn’t want the mistakes to repeat this time, especially when exit polls have predicted no clear winner in the four states. In Uttar Pradesh, however, most exit polls have predicted a sweeping win for the BJP and its allies, while projecting Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party as the chief opponent.