Solanki to visit Jammu Kashmir on Jan 16, 17
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Jan 12: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today chaired a meeting of AICC coordinators for six Lok Sabha constituencies of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh and gave them broader guidelines apart from taking ground feedback from them.
Reliable sources in the Congress circles told the Excelsior that issues pertaining to the conduct and management of Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, including selection of candidates, were discussed in detail during the meeting that took place at the AICC Headquarters in New Delhi.
The meet also decided that AICC general secretary and Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Bharatsingh Solanki will visit J&K on January 16, 17 and meet the Congress functionaries as well as workers for taking stock of the poll preparedness, sources added.
The meeting was attended by AICC general secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal, Avish Pandey, Rajiv Shukla, G A Mir, Bharatsingh Solanki and other senior leaders.
Those from J&K, who attended the meeting, included senior leader Ghulam Nabi Monga, JKPCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, former Minister Yogesh Sawhney, Haji Abdul Rasheed and Naresh Gupta (Ex-MLC) besides coordinator from Ladakh.
According to the sources, privy to the meeting, the three hours brain storming session discussed many issues pertaining to the conduct and management of Lok Sabha elections right from booth management to the selection of candidates.
The Congress leadership also listened to the suggestions of the AICC coordinators and advised them to gear up their job in respective fields. The coordinators were sensitized about the important and significant role to be played by them in the whole process, sources said.
Describing the AICC coordinators as eyes and ears of the high command, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged them to increase their connection with the people and ensure re-activation of all the committees from block level to booth level.
“My only advice to the coordinators is to make sure that the party reaches out to maximum number of people in their respective parliamentary constituencies,” the Congress chief said in a post on X (Twitter) also.
Pertinent to mention that the Congress party has appointed coordinators for all Lok Sabha constituencies in a bid to coordinate the efforts being made across the country ahead of the elections.
In response to a query, sources said that the party high command made it clear that there was no bar on contesting the Lok Sabha election by AICC coordinators.
Regarding the seat sharing agreement within INDIA block, the Congress high command told the coordinators that discussion in this regard was a continuous progress and the party would take appropriate decision in interest of the opposition block.
The Congress has already decided to be a part of the INDIA block of 28 opposition parties, which would put up a united fight against the ruling BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress leadership is holding hectic deliberations with the party leaders from every State ahead of the elections due in April-May. Today’s meeting of the party’s Lok Sabha coordinators from different States and UTs, including J&K and Ladakh, was part of the ongoing deliberations in this regard.
In another post on X, Kharge said the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are very important to give a new direction to the country and strengthen the voice of people and ensure justice to them.
“The arrogance of the dictatorial Government will be defeated and the rights of 140 crore countrymen will emerge victorious. Today we took stock of the election preparations with the coordinators of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh,” he said after the meeting.
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