Raipur:
Hoping to regain power in the Chhattisgarh assembly elections after a decade, the main opposition Congress party has decided to launch a "BJP step down, quit Chhattisgarh" agitation.
The Congress will to carry forward its "parivartan yatra" or "march for change" launched by its slain leader Nand Kumar Patel but was put on hold on due to the monsoon.
"We will launch a 'BJP gaddi chhodo, Chhattisgarh chhodho' (BJP step down, quit Chhattisgarh) campaign against the ruling party from August 9," Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Charan Das Mahant told reporters at Congress Bhavan.
"We have put the yatra on hold due to the rainy season, but it will be resumed after monsoon," he said.
Meanwhile, he also demanded that memorials be built to commemorate slain Congress leaders who died in the Bastar Maoist attack.
About BJP accusing him of indulging in sycophancy, due to his statement that he would sweep the state party office if asked by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Mahant claimed that "commitment to serve the party is not sycophancy" and that he is "dedicated" about serving his party in "any" way.
