VIJAYAWADA: With an objective of regaining its lost foothold in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress is trying everything under the sky to earn back the trust of the common man. Booth-level committees, door-to-door campaigns and adopting the latest technology to keep a tab on the pulse of the people are some of the strategies being adopted by the grand old party.
However, the party leadership is very clear in one thing: those who want to contest on Congress ticket will have to find funds for their campaigning. The party will not give them any money.
During his interaction with Assembly level party leaders, AICC general secretary and party in-charge for the State Oommen Chandy said by forming booth level committees, the party will get strengthened at the grass-root level. A total of 44,000 booth-level committees are being set up in the State.
“They will inculcate a positive perception on the Congress at every household, which will help in improving the party graph in the State,” AICC leader Koppula Raju told party leaders at the State-level orientation programme organised in Vijayawada on Thursday.
Congress leaders were of the opinion that booth-level committees will strengthen the party base and provide a ready-made interface with the people. “Even if 500 families at booth level are influenced by the party, 2,500 loyal supporters can be mobilised at the booth level. It can play a vital role in future,” said a Congress leader.
For better interface with booth-level committees, the teleconference is going to be used so that the party president at the State-level at a time can coordinate and interact with booth-level committees every other day and know the pulse of the people.
In the meeting, it was decided to adopt a four-pronged strategy in coming two months. A coordination and training programme for at least 2,500 booth-level committees at the Assembly constituency level, flexies of the party in every village or mandal, door-to-door campaign and pamphlet distribution are part of the strategy.
The pamphlets will emphasise that Congress is duty bound to get special category status to the State and will ensure that every provision of the AP Reorganisation Act gets implemented.
“It is obvious that even if any regional party in the State wins 25 MP seats and 175 MLA seats, it will not be in a position to get the special category status. The BJP will not give it, which was proved already. It is only the Congress which has been saying it will and can do it. This message will be circulated among people at the grass-root level,” a senior party leader told TNIE.
However, implementing the four-pronged strategy at constituency-level needs money and with Congress leadership makes it clear that it will not be funding and the ticket aspirants will have to find fund.
The message is clear: those who want to depend on the party for funding and enjoy the success can say goodbye to their dreams.
“For such people, all I can say is I am sorry,” APCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy said.
Party not funding the campaign is also being seen as to control and filter the ticket aspirants and remove the unwanted baggage with the Congress.
Rahul Gandhi reiterates SCS promise
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is touring Germany, has reiterated that he is committed to providing special category status to AP, as promised. Replying to a query during interaction with NRIs in Berlin on Friday, he said once the Congress forms government at the Centre in 2019, the Congress will honour its commitment and accord special category status to AP.