BJP is organising Gram Swaraj meetings with the declared intention of strengthening its village level units.
Senior leaders and Cabinet Ministers speak at these events that are held at hoblis or village clusters. They speak of the achievements of the State government in the rural development sector. They also ask party cadre to prepare for the gram panchayat elections scheduled later this month.
The Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act of 1993 mandates that gram panchayat polls are not held on party lines. But the BJP leadership is pro-actively campaigning in the polls for the “party’s candidates”.
District in-charge Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who spoke at a recent event in Gokak, declared that party workers had to work towards electing BJP-supported nominees in 70 %-80 % of the seats in the rural local bodies across the district.
Party sources say that the Gram Swaraj meetings are being organised to scout for candidates for the gram panchayat polls. “He who gets actively involved in organising the meetings, raising funds or making speeches at such meetings would be picked for the polls. We have some sitting members in the outgoing gram panchayats but we would also try to field new faces,” said a leader.
Gram Panchayat elections would also be used to observe the pulse of village residents and their response towards the administration of the Union or State governments, say leaders. “Public rallies are not feasible for village level polls and we will rely on door-to-door campaign. That is when our cadre will get talking to the people, especially farmers, about governance,’’ said another leader who is part of the team involved in the party’s gram panchayat poll preparations.
The party does not think that the opposition to farm law amendments and the delay in distribution of flood-loss relief would affect its chances. “Farmers and village residents are happy with the performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and B.S. Yediyurappa in the State. We are not worried about other issues that are being politicised by the Opposition,” district unit president Sanjay Patil said.
Meanwhile, the district administration has started preparations for the elections. Preliminary work to finalise electoral rolls and verification of electoral photo identity card have been completed. Deputy Commissioner M.G. Hiremath has planned a series of meetings with officers this week. Notice for the first round will be issued on December 7 and the second round on December 11. Revenue and Excise officers have set up control rooms across the district to ensure smooth conduct of polls.
Any person who has information about electoral malpractice or illegal activities regarding sale, trade, transport of alcohol can call the following numbers — Ph: 0831-2475192, 08288-233717, 9241767667, 0831-2475193, 9740770414, 0831-2475193, 8277365833, 08338-274765 and 9902021934.
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