'Sonia to campaign in poll-bound states if health permits'

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will campaign in the poll-bound states only if her health permits, while Rahul Gandhi would address a public meeting in Goa, senior party leader Digvijaya Singh said here today.
"We have scheduled public meeting of Rahul Gandhi in Goa some time towards the end of election campaign. Sonia Gandhi may also come subject to her health. If she campaigns in Punjab and UP, then she may also come to Goa," Singh told reporters here in Goa.
The party general secretary, who held a number of meetings with the local leaders and candidates for the upcoming state Legislative Assembly elections, today announced that the party will have a seat sharing agreement "with viable candidates".

"Congress has already announced 36 (out of 40 constituencies) candidates. The list of candidates includes those from the local party unit," he said.
Singh said party's strategy is to defeat BJP for which it is in talks with various (non-congress) candidates.
"Wherever we don't have a viable candidate, we are looking at candidates who can defeat the BJP," he said.

He clarified that Congress will not go for a pre-poll alliance with any political party. "But we will be going for a strategic seat adjustment that also subject to the discussion with leaders of congress party in Goa," he added.

The Congress leader also ruled out any seat sharing with its natural ally - NCP.
"We have been seeing that NCP becomes very active when the elections come. Where was NCP during last four and half years when congress were fighting on different issues," he said.
"NCP was with us at the national level primarily in Maharashtra. But in Goa, they have been talking about the seats without an organisation and without candidates," Singh said.
"I am told now they are looking for candidates against the communal forces. This always happens and more so in smaller states that party hopping is part of politics. We have tried our best as promised to bring new faces and more than 50 per cent of our candidates are young and new faces," he said.

He said Congress will go for subdued and door-to-door campaign for Goa polls exposing the frequent U turns taken by BJP-led State government.
"The biggest U-turn was in the case of Mauvin Godinho and Pandurang Madkaikar against whom Manohar Parrikar, on the floor of the House, had levelled charges of corruption. And now he has sponsored them to bring into the BJP," Singh said while referring to both the former Congress MLAs, who had resigned from the party to join BJP in the run up to the polls.