Chandigarh, April 20 -- Leaving little to chance in its preparation for the 2027 Punjab assembly polls slated to be held early next year, the All India Congress Committee has decided to commission three surveys to gauge the "winnability" of ticket aspirants across all 117 constituencies in the state. In 2022 polls, the Congress had won 18 seats. The decision in this regard was taken in the meeting of Punjab leaders held at the AICC in New Delhi on Saturday. At least three surveys have been planned, with two to be conducted under the supervision of Bhupesh Baghel, who is the party incharge of Punjab, while one will be carried out directly by the AICC using external agencies. After the meeting, former Chhattisgarh CM, Baghel, said, "Winnability is the sole criterion. The Congress already have many candidates for each seat, the question is to select the best and winnable candidate." According to leaders present in the meeting, who didn't wish to be named, the surveys will ask questions from the general public as well as from Congress workers about the ticket aspirants. "The findings will be used to decide tickets and reduce faction disputes within the state unit. There are already reports where the several heavyweights in the state unit are pushing names of their supporters for tickets. The central leadership wants a process based on feedback rather than internal lobbying. The surveys will assess ground support and help shortlist candidates," said the leader. Two surveys will be conducted by different agencies under Baghel's supervision, while Rahul Gandhi's team will conduct its own survey, it is learnt. "The data will be later collated to pick the best nominee for a particular seat. The party sees a chance in Punjab and is thus moving cautiously. Surveys will commence from mid of May and will be completed in two months," the leader said, adding, "The exercise is aimed at identifying those with support at the local level. The party also plans to consider new faces along with sitting leaders." The idea is to give prospective candidates at least six months to work in the field. Many of the seats have heavyweight state-level leaders, so I don't think there will be a problem there, but the survey will help in those seats having multiple ticket claimants, the leader added. The meeting, attended by members of the Congress Working Committee, also had a focused discussion on campaign planning and organisational work. All the leaders asked for enhanced digital presence to build a narrative against the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that the party will build a strong narrative. "Wait for a few days, and the Congress will launch a massive campaign against the AAP. People-centric issues have been identified," Warring said, adding, "The surveys are being conducted to pick the best candidates." Another party leader added that around 70% of the campaign in the next two months will be on digital platforms. "The party plans to highlight issues related to governance and build a narrative against the state government through online outreach. Social media will be tapped to build a narrative before the party hits the ground," the leader said. The digital campaign is likely to pick up pace after mid-July, after the sowing of paddy. "While April and May will be used for meetings and organisational work at the district level, including training for the new team," he added....