New Delhi/Pune:
Team Anna's plans to campaign against the Congress in the five poll-bound states this year have hit a roadblock with Anna Hazare in hospital. The anti-corruption crusader has been hospitalised since last Saturday for what doctors say is 'chest congestion', and advised bed rest for a month.
"In a few days, I will be alright. Don't worry about me.," was Anna's message for his supporters from his hospital bed in Pune.
However, Anna's ill health has put his team's plans of campaigning against Congress now in doubt. The timing could not have been worse for the group of social activists with just a few weeks left for the elections in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.
As Anna ended his fast on the second day of the protest at the MMRDA Ground in Mumbai, he declared that he and his team will campaign against the Congress in the upcoming assembly polls in all five states over the government's 'failure' to bring an 'effective and strong' Lokpal Bill. But now it seems the poll plans for Team Anna have been postponed indefinitely due to the 74-year-old's health.
"We haven't decided anything about our campaign as yet," said key Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal.
The uncertainty in Team Anna comes quite clearly as a breather for the Congress, although it preferred to downplay the possible negative impact of the campaign.
"In politics there is neither relief nor worries. When you are on political ground, your rivals put their commitments and words before people," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari
However, according to some analysts, it's not illness alone that has led Team Anna to rethink its plans.
Kumar Ketkar, a senior journalist, said, "What is the point in campaigning against Congress. Campaigning against Congress in Uttar Pradesh clearly meant supporting BJP, because BJP and Congress are contesting in for third and fourth place. Mayawati's government has been accused of corruption. In fact, it would have meant supporting corruption and supporting BJP and that they knew they realised a little late and fighting against Congress in UP thus became redundant and meaningless and they withdrew the campaign under the cover that Anna is ill. So, I think Anna's illness may be a fact but that's not the reason to cancellation."