VIJAYAWADA: The Congress is gearing up for Assembly elections in the State scheduled to be held in 2019 and is restructuring the party at the grass root level to strengthen it. Disclosing it to reporters here on Monday, AICC general secretary and Andhra Pradesh in-charge Oommen Chandy, who was in Vijayawada as part of his State tour, said the party would contest the elections alone and there would not be any alliance with any party.
“Our main agenda is strengthening the party from the grass root level and in that direction, for the first time in the State, we are constituting booth-level committees. In all, 44,000 booth committees will be constituted,” he said. Mandal-level committees in all 618 mandals and a coordination committee for each of the 175 Assembly constituencies will also be constituted.
“For the next three to four months, we have chalked out more activities for our party leaders and activists. Starting October 2, a massive door-to-door campaign will be conducted in the State, with party leaders and activists meeting every family in the State and explaining about agenda of the Congress, which is people’s agenda. A pamphlet on issues at national and State-level will be brought out,” Chandy explained.
He said they will explain to every family about the commitment of the Congress for getting Special Category Status and implementing provisions in the AP Reorganisation Act. He said they will collect `1 from each family towards party fund and one-day salary of party workers and leaders for the same.
According to Congress leaders, the important reason for the fund collection is to have the people and party activists cooperate, associate and involve more in party activities.
The AICC general secretary said the party would organise a number of seminars and rallies from October 31 to November 19, which happens to be death and birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi.“Starting today till July 31, I will meet every party leader at Assembly constituency level to understand ground reality and chalk out an action plan for strengthening the party. Today, I am interacting with leaders from all the 16 Assembly constituencies in Krishna district,” he said.
On Kiran Kumar Reddy, Chandy maintained that he is positive about the former chief minister’s re-entry into the Congress.He said they have focused on bringing back all those leaders who left the party for one reason or the other after the State bifurcation.APCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy, Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao, Krishna district in-charge M Pallam Raju, APCC general secretary G Rudra Raju and AICC secretary Christopher were present.