In order to galvanise the party cadre ahead of the just-announced elections to the rural local bodies, senior State Congress leaders on Monday turned their attention on organisational issues and the strategy to be adopted for strengthening the party at the booth and gram panchayat level.
Under the leadership of KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar, about 40 leaders, including former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, huddled at a private resort on the outskirts of the city for a whole day and introspected on reasons for the party’s defeat in the recent Legislative Assembly byelections.
Local candidates
A committee has been constituted to identify suitable local candidates for next elections. After the meeting, Mr. Shivakumar told mediapersons that the party welcomed the announcement of dates for the gram panchayat elections and had decided to form a nine-member committee for campaigning in the elections to be held in two phases. All leaders, irrespective of seniority, have been told to visit each district for campaigning. Legislators have been told to campaign in their neighbouring segments also.
‘Praja pratinidhis’
In order to transform the Congress into a cadre-based party, the party has decided to form committees at the booth and panchayat level. The committees will compose of local leaders from all communities and they would be named “Praja Pratinidhis”. To rope in people from diverse backgrounds into the party-fold, cultural, drivers and cooperation units of the party will be formed at at all level.
The party has extended its support to the farmer’s agitation in north India and demanded the Centre to withdraw all three major new farm laws passed in the last Parliament session.
On manhandling of a woman councillor of Mahalingapur Town Municipal Council by BJP MLA Siddu Savadi, which allegedly led to a miscarriage, Mr. Shivakumar said the party would stage a protest and seek immediate arrest of the MLA.
Senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC representative Yashomati Thakur, and KPCC office-bearers were among the others present in the meeting.
