07-02-2007, 07:38 PM
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Congress orders speech therapy for Pratibha
Nidhi Sharma | New Delhi
..as she leaves party red-faced over her remarks on different issues
<b>
After her many 'foot-in-mouth' utterances, the Congress is not taking any chances with its presidential candidate Pratibha Patil's public statements. Before she embarks on her nation-wide campaign, Patil is being tutored by Congressmen on what to say when.
</b>
Back in Delhi for the scrutiny of her nomination papers, Patil is on a three-day crash course on what issues to broach during her presidential campaign. The Congress party has taken two places on South Avenue - numbers 9 and 11- for Patil. While 9 South Avenue is her office, the other is her residence. It is here that she is being coached by senior Congressmen. Her brief is simple: Steer clear of controversial issues.
According to party sources, Patil's tuitions started last week. Congress leaders like Motilal Vora were involved in the exercise. Now, trained spokespersons like Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Jayanthi Natarajan are doing the job. Natarajan is accompanying Patil on the campaign trail.
Patil's remarks on purdah and her statement about a divine "visit" by the Brahmakumari sect founder had left the Congress red-faced. On the back foot after media exposes on several scams involving her cooperative bank and sugar mill, the Congress is treading carefully. A senior leader said: "She has to begin by taking them into confidence. The party MLAs and MPs have to feel
involved in the presidential elections. So she has been asked to thank them for giving her the honour and showing confidence in her. She would also talk about women and politics."
On her first day of campaigning in Chennai, Patil made the first remark about the allegations made against her. Sources said that this was a part of a well planned strategy. She has begun with short and crisp denials and would gradually become more aggressive.
Though Patil has been asked to refrain from directly attacking her rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, she would aggressively hit out against the Opposition's allegations. Patil is likely to play party president Sonia Gandhi's favourite card - woman candidate.
Patil would actively embark on her presidential campaign on Thursday. She would start with Trivandrum and Pondicherry. On Friday, she would address party MPs and MLAs in Bangalore and Hyderabad. She would return to Delhi on the same day and then on Saturday visit Srinagar. Patil is likely to cover Chandigarh after Srinagar and then go to Simla on July 8. The first phase of campaign will end on July 9 at Gandhinagar.
She would cover Goa, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan after this. Her itinerary is being drafted by Vora and Suresh Pachauri. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Congress orders speech therapy for Pratibha
Nidhi Sharma | New Delhi
..as she leaves party red-faced over her remarks on different issues
<b>
After her many 'foot-in-mouth' utterances, the Congress is not taking any chances with its presidential candidate Pratibha Patil's public statements. Before she embarks on her nation-wide campaign, Patil is being tutored by Congressmen on what to say when.
</b>
Back in Delhi for the scrutiny of her nomination papers, Patil is on a three-day crash course on what issues to broach during her presidential campaign. The Congress party has taken two places on South Avenue - numbers 9 and 11- for Patil. While 9 South Avenue is her office, the other is her residence. It is here that she is being coached by senior Congressmen. Her brief is simple: Steer clear of controversial issues.
According to party sources, Patil's tuitions started last week. Congress leaders like Motilal Vora were involved in the exercise. Now, trained spokespersons like Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Jayanthi Natarajan are doing the job. Natarajan is accompanying Patil on the campaign trail.
Patil's remarks on purdah and her statement about a divine "visit" by the Brahmakumari sect founder had left the Congress red-faced. On the back foot after media exposes on several scams involving her cooperative bank and sugar mill, the Congress is treading carefully. A senior leader said: "She has to begin by taking them into confidence. The party MLAs and MPs have to feel
involved in the presidential elections. So she has been asked to thank them for giving her the honour and showing confidence in her. She would also talk about women and politics."
On her first day of campaigning in Chennai, Patil made the first remark about the allegations made against her. Sources said that this was a part of a well planned strategy. She has begun with short and crisp denials and would gradually become more aggressive.
Though Patil has been asked to refrain from directly attacking her rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, she would aggressively hit out against the Opposition's allegations. Patil is likely to play party president Sonia Gandhi's favourite card - woman candidate.
Patil would actively embark on her presidential campaign on Thursday. She would start with Trivandrum and Pondicherry. On Friday, she would address party MPs and MLAs in Bangalore and Hyderabad. She would return to Delhi on the same day and then on Saturday visit Srinagar. Patil is likely to cover Chandigarh after Srinagar and then go to Simla on July 8. The first phase of campaign will end on July 9 at Gandhinagar.
She would cover Goa, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan after this. Her itinerary is being drafted by Vora and Suresh Pachauri. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->