Corporates backing BJP, a concern for Cong Campaign Committee

Concern over a sizeable section of corporate India backing Narendra Modi-led BJP was voiced in the Congress Campaign Committee meeting at which party chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were present.
The meeting, also attended by party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, saw some leaders noting that many television channels are favouring BJP.
Sonia Gandhi was however combative in the meeting resolving that the party would fight the election vigorously.
Sources said that Union Minister Manish Tewari talked about the role of corporate and media in Narendra Modi's election campaign. He also favoured taking Modi head on.
Senior leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi made a strong plea against giving tickets to those tainted and those who have come from other parties.

He emphasised that giving tickets to tainted would create more problems for the party already facing a difficult election.

Kumari Selja lamented that Congress did not pursue the issue of affirmative action in private sector to a logical conclusion.
Some leaders wanted tickets to be finalised as early as possible while some underlined the need for using decent language.
Union Ministers Salman Khurshid, who had stoked a controversy with his "impotent" remarks about Modi over his failure to handle the situation arising out of 2002 Gujarat riots, was not present in the meeting.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik also did not attend the meeting.

Rahul Gandhi, who is the co-chairman of the Committee, is expected to go on a blitzkrieg campaign this Lok Sabha polls and there is a view that he should be addressing rally in at least 300 parliamentary constituencies.