Karnataka: Congress gears up for LS polls

Mangaluru: As the parliamentary election looms on the horizon, the Congress party is strategically positioning itself to outmaneuver the BJP, leveraging a combination of its robust guarantee schemes and the perceived shortcomings of the Modi government.

In a bid to bolster its standing, the party has outlined an ambitious plan to conduct conventions in each district headquarters come January, accompanied by a structural overhaul through the appointment of new office bearers and District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents in some of the districts.

With the electoral countdown ticking, the Congress party is actively preparing to contest in Karnataka. The ongoing process of shortlisting candidates is complemented by a comprehensive approach to stage a political resurgence in the state.

Saleem Ahmed, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president and party whip in the Legislative Council, told Deccan Chronicle that district-level conventions will be held in January across all district headquarters.

He emphasized the successful implementation of four guarantees, resulting in tangible benefits for citizens—an average monthly benefit of 4-5 thousand rupees per family.

Intent on showcasing this success story, the party aims to engage with the public through these conventions, signaling a grassroots approach.

"We aim to propagate this success narrative to the public, reaching out to them through district-level conventions. Following these, our workers will disseminate the message at the block and booth levels to reinforce the idea that Congress has upheld its promises."

District in-charge ministers, MLAs and MLCs are expected to participate in their respective districts, with senior Congress leaders, including All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar likely featuring in some events.

The Congress party's strategy extends beyond showcasing achievements; it includes drawing a sharp contrast between the Congress and BJP.

Emphasizing their track record of implementing four guarantees, Congress aims to underscore the BJP's failure to fulfill promises made over the past decade.

"We have successfully executed four guarantees within the initial six months of our term. The introduction of the fifth guarantee is scheduled shortly. In contrast, the BJP, despite making assurances spanning employment generation, addressing price inflation, and doubling income, has fallen short of delivering on these pledges over 10 years. We intend to inform the public about these shortcomings and articulate the reasons why they should cast their votes in favor of the Congress," Saleem Ahmed stated.

Simultaneously, a significant organizational revamp is in the offing, with plans to appoint new DCC presidents in 10-15 districts.

"There will be appointments of new DCC presidents in about 10-15 districts. In some places, the office bearers have to be replaced," Ahmed added.