The ensuing gram panchayat polls, which will provide a perfect pitch for political parties to build their grassroots cadre, is particularly important for the Opposition Congress, which has received a series of electoral drubbings since 2018.
With panchayats implementing nearly 70% of the rural development schemes, especially MNREGA, drinking water supply, and rural roads, elected GP members use these village-level administrative bodies as a formidable tool to build support base for the party.
Equally significant
These elections are equally significant for parties/leaders to establish bonds with the local electorate, which would lead to build a political constituency in the Assembly elections.
KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed said the Congress would use the GP polls to regain its lost political space in some of the constituencies. Keeping in view the next elections to the zilla panchayat, taluk panchayat, and elections to Legislative Council from local bodies’ constituency, the party will make all out efforts to build cadres and support at the village level, he said.
The Congress, which held a day-long conclave in Bengaluru on Monday to work out a strategy for the polls, has decided to give responsibilities of identifying candidates to the District and Block Congress Committees. Both committees have been directed to work in tandem with MLAs and senior leaders of the party while fielding candidates and campaigning.
Besides formation of the GP and booth level committees, it has decided to form nine teams composed of senior leaders to tour districts, and campaign. All levels of office-bearers have been told to make efforts to quell their differences to ensure victory of party-backed candidates.
In the 2015 elections to GPs, the Congress registered an emphatic victory with number one position in 21 districts. It won 62,000 seats of GPs out of 92,000 in 2015, Mr. Ahmed said.
The party is expected to print booklets and pamphlets to be given to DCCs and BCCs to inform voters about the failures of the B.S. Yediyurappa-led government in tackling COVID-19, farmers’ problems during the pandemic, and floods.