SHILLONG, MAY 27: Congress chief Vincent H Pala on Tuesday said the party has been reorganizing at the grassroots for the last four months ahead of the Shillong Lok Sabha byelection and is focusing on house meetings instead of public rallies until the Election Commission of India announces the poll date.

“Since last four months, we have been organizing the party at the different levels. Last time we had appointed different levels of party workers and now we are doing it at the grassroots level also,” Pala said.

He said Congress’s approach differs from other parties. “The only difference between the Congress and other parties is that they go for public meetings. But we thought that until and unless the ECI announces the election, then we can go for house-to-house meetings rather than public meetings,” he said.

“We have been going for house meetings almost every day and all the districts are on the job. So that’s the difference. We are prepared,” Pala added.

Acknowledging resource gaps, he said, “Another difference is that other parties, especially the VPP and NPP, they are at the state level and the district council level, so they can pull up a lot of resources and people also. So, I think we understand our position and we need to sustain and we work according to the capacity.”

Pala claimed voter sentiment is shifting. “This election I have seen there is a slight or maximum change in the mindset of the people,” he said.

“Many of the people are confused on whether to vote for the VPP or the NPP or the BJP or the Congress because I think the anti-incumbency is high in the district council as well as in the state.”

While the BJP has not announced its candidate and Congress is yet to officially name one, Pala said the party is already in the field.

“BJP has not yet announced their candidate and even the Congress officially is yet to announce but as a party we have been working. I see this time, the people will come back to the Congress. That is for sure,” he said. He said the party is seeing reverse migration.

“Wherever I went, many people have joined us. Before, people from the Congress went to other parties but this time it is totally different. There is a U-turn in the mindset of the people, especially in the young minds,” he said.

“Wherever I went, I meet lots of young minds and they said we realized that Congress is the best.” “It is not that the people are not with the Congress but it is just that our Congress leaders left the party, which is like betraying the people. Now people have forgotten that and they have come back to the Congress,” Pala said. “This is a new trend in the recent elections.”

Asked to assess the party’s chances, he cautioned against early predictions. “It is too early to say now. Until and unless we start campaigning everywhere, it is too early to say,” Pala said.

“Sometimes it is not good to talk big as when the time comes you don’t perform. I think anybody who is saying are just talking big. Otherwise, people will decide only one month or two days before the election.”

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