Narendra Modi dominates Congress's five-day workshop for spokespersons

Narendra Modi seems to dominate not just BJP strategy sessions, but also those of the Congress. How to counter Modi in cyberspace reportedly had Congress leaders exercised at a recent party workshop. Some, said sources, suggested carpet-bombing the Web, even if it means creating multiple accounts - read fake accounts - to counter the followers of the Gujarat Chief Minister, who has over 23 lakh on Twitter and whose tele-conference with NRIs this morning was streamed and promoted aggressively from his website narendramodi.in.

The five-day media workshop for Congress spokespersons and TV panelists also thoroughly debated issues such as corruption, policy paralysis, impact of legislations like right to food and the right to compensation from land acquisition among others. Several eminent experts like Sayeeda Hamid, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Madan Gopal among others lectured the group. Congress leaders deny a Modi theme to the workshop, but the inclusion of a special session in the workshop on Gujarat, indicated otherwise. "We have discussed everything that's relevant in today's politics," said a senior Congress spokesperson, dismissing questions on whether the Congress is obsessed with Modi.

Shakti Singh Gohil and Arjun Modvadia, Congress leaders from the state, briefed the gathering and are learnt to have used both harsh words and personal comments against Mr Modi, who is the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate for 2014. Not everyone was impressed though. "What can they teach us? They have ensured that we lose the state for over three terms," said a participant.