BJP readies to keep Congress down
Swati R Sharma
DEHRADUN, Nov. 20: After defeating the Congress in the Assembly election, the BJP is gearing up for panchayat and local body polls in Uttarakhand early next year. Senior party functionaries are to pose a challenge to the Congress, which has a hold on a good percentage of seats in the panchayats and local bodies.
At the two-day, BJP state executive meeting in Haldwani recently,
BJP national president Mr Rajnath Singh said party workers should go to the masses, highlighting the state government’s achievements.
“Besides bringing the administrative system back on track, the biggest achievement of the BC Khanduri government has been its first surplus annual budget in the state's seven-year history.”
A resolution was passed in the state executive, appreciating the steps taken by the Uttarakhand government, particularly in streamlining administrative functioning. Party members chalked out strategies to corner the Congress in the forthcoming polls.
The BJP is set to break the Congress dominance in the panchayats and local bodies. Programmes have been undertaken to reach every household before the election. At present, Congress representation in the panchayats is about 85 per cent, and in the local bodies it is almost 90 per cent.
Though the party in power has an advantage in the local body and panchayat elections, hindrances in the BJP's way could be a strong and large group of dissidents who support former state president Mr BS Koshiyari, unhappy over reduction in their leader's stature.
Mr Koshiyari, who is believed to have a good hold in the party organisation, is piqued for being ignored after the BJP came to power and he was denied chief ministership.
The situation worsened when the top party leadership ignored his advice on the new state president and announced its choice of the MP, Mr Bachi Singh Rawat.
Besides the inner unrest, even outside, sour relations between Major-Gen (retd) Khanduri and Mr Koshiyari could cost heavily to the ruling party.
Mr Rawat said the party organisation is set to ensure victory in the local body and panchayat polls. “We would even work to win the by-election to the Pauri Lok Sabha seat,” he said.