Mumbai, Oct. 4: Anna Hazare today said he would launch a campaign asking voters to defeat the Congress in the poll-bound states if the Jan Lokpal bill is not passed in the winter session, embarking on a course that can change the avowed non-partisan character of the civil society movement he represents.

Speaking in his native village of Ralegaon Siddhi in Maharashtra, Hazare, accompanied by his India Against Corruption colleague Arvind Kejriwal, said he would begin his anti-Congress campaign as early as on October 13 when bypolls to the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency in Haryana are scheduled.

“I shall go to Hisar after Dussehra and hold public meetings, if my schedule permits me. If not, I shall send a video message to the voters of Hisar explaining how the Congress has blocked the Jan Lokpal bill and urge them not to vote for the party,” Hazare said.

“We are not going to tell the voters whom to vote for. They could vote for any party other than the Congress and choose a candidate with good character and clean image,” he added, perhaps keeping in mind charges that the Sangh parivar was supporting him with an agenda to hurt the ruling party.

Kejriwal said Team Anna had no plans for electoral politics, but would continue efforts to support good, clean candidates irrespective of party affiliations.

Hazare said his team had begun preparations for his nationwide tour but he would initiate his campaign in the poll-bound states first. Assembly elections are scheduled in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa next year.

Emphasising on the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Hazare said he planned to undertake a fast in Lucknow three days before the elections to send out a strong message to people to boycott the Congress.

“I will go to each of the states where Assembly elections are scheduled and address public meetings. Candle-light marches will be taken out for awareness. The schedule of my meetings is still being chalked out,” Hazare said.

Asked if he would urge voters to vote for Congress if the local candidate was clean, Hazare said: “What is the purpose of a clean candidate if the party is not right? Is Manmohan Singh not clean? The problem is he is remote-controlled.”