Mumbai, Feb 14 (IANS) Ahead of the upcoming local and civic body elections in Maharashtra, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday formed a seven-member core group to focus on strengthening the party organisation, implementation of various policies and government’s welfare decisions across the state.
The core group comprises party national president and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, working president Praful Patel, state unit president Sunil Tatkare, former Ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse-Patil, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif and Food and Civil Supply Minister Dhananjay Munde.
Munde has been included in the core group despite the chorus rising for his resignation in connection with alleged corruption in the state agriculture department during his tenure as the minister. The ruling and opposition parties are also seeking Munde’s resignation in the case of the brutal killing of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh as his close associate Walmik Karad is booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
“The core group has been established with a view of stepping up the strengthening of the party organisation in the run-up to the local and civic body elections in Maharashtra. The core group is also mandated with crafting policies for the organisation building and deciding a slew of programmes for the same. In addition, the core group will focus on implementation of such policies,” said Tatkare in a release.
NCP’s move comes after it won 41 Assembly seats by aligning with BJP and Shiv Sena though it had bagged one seat in the Lok Sabha elections.
Ajit Pawar during the party’s Navsankalp Shibir held last month had sounded the bugle for the upcoming local and civic body elections in Maharashtra while asking the cadres to gear up preparations for the same with a resolve to continue the party’s victory march, especially after thumping win in the recently concluded Assembly election. He had told the cadres to slog for NCP’s consolidation saying, “We should all remember that the coming era should belong to the NCP.”
Ajit Pawar took the class of cadres about how the party should prepare itself for the local and civic body elections asking them to step up outreach with the voters, increase communication with them and focus on further strengthening the party organisation. “There are elections for municipal corporations and local bodies in the coming period. Every aspirant for the ticket or the party post should select a responsible worker who should be given the responsibility of 25 houses. Considering the average of four votes from each house, the party can reach out to 100 voters. The elections for the municipalities and the Nagar Panchayats will also be held ward-wise. The party leaders and cadres need to implement poll management with precision so that it can win seats and thereby increase presence in the local and civic bodies,” he said.
Speaking about the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation election in particular, Ajit Pawar said there will be a four-member ward system. “Now each candidate will have to prepare a batch of 50 workers in every ward it will lead to a force of 200 people that can work and vote for the party,” he added.
He said that every office-bearer and cadres should focus on the growth of party organisation in their respective villages and every nook and corner with NCP’s flag and poster. He added that the party’s ideology and thought should reach every household.
–IANS
sj/dpb
