By Express News Service
LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: In the wake of the unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases across the country, the Congress party has decided to postpone its major election rallies and campaigns in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand while decisions on other poll-bound states are expected soon.
Besides the proposed seven-eight marathons to be organised under ‘Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon’ campaign in Varanasi and Noida, the UP unit of the party had planned to hold a mega rally in the state capital on January 15.
In Uttarakhand, the scheduled political calendar has been put on hold for a week and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s rally in the state on January 9 stands cancelled.
All the events now stand to be postponed for now. “All marathons which the party was planning to hold in various districts of UP stand cancelled till the situation becomes normal,” said a senior Congress leader in Lucknow.
The AICC has asked all PCCs in the poll-bound states to assess the situation in their respective states and then take a call on postponing rallies and public events.
Uttarakhand Congress has also decided to put on hold all rallies for a week and will review the situation further. Other poll-bound state units in Punjab, Goa, and Manipur have been asked to assess the situation.
“The Congress took a decision keeping in mind the safety of people to put on hold all large public gatherings. The situation will be reviewed by respective state units and I am hopeful other political parties would follow the same,” said general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal.
The party is now also focusing on digital campaigns, Facebook and Instagram lives and online town halls to reach out to people in poll-bound states.
As per the UPPCC chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, the state unit of Congress has decided to postpone its Ladki hoon Lad Sakti hoon marathons in the state.
On Tuesday the Congress had drawn flak after a few girls participating in the marathon organised by the party got injured in a stampede-like situation in Bareilly.
VIRUS situation IN POLL-BOUND STATES
Amid debates over postponing the Assembly elections in five states, here is a look at the day’s Covid-19 tally in these states
