Preparations have started across the political spectrum in Rajasthan for the upcoming municipal elections, which are likely to reflect people’s perception about the performance of the Congress government. While the Congress has appointed committees for selection of candidates in the 49 local bodies going to the polls, the Opposition BJP nominated its candidates in Kota and Sikar districts on Monday.
Polling for the first round of elections, covering over 2,100 municipal seats, will take place on November 16. AICC general secretary Avinash Pande, who attended a meeting of the Pradesh Congress Committee here on Sunday, said the party would make every effort to touch the maximum number of people and win the polls.
Mr. Pande said the municipal elections were important for ground workers of the ruling Congress. PCC president and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said since the people had shown faith in developmental works of the State government, the Congress would “sweep the polls” in the urban local bodies.
BJP State president Satish Poonia, who laid the foundation stone of the party’s new office building in Sikar, told reporters that the party workers had assumed charge at the booth level and the local units would release vision documents for development of the respective areas.
BJP’s ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, which has won three seats in the State Assembly, has decided to stay away from the municipal elections, after the BJP announced that it had a “strong base” in the urban areas and would contest the polls alone.
RLP founder-president Hanuman Beniwal said his party would extend support to individual candidates if the local workers favoured it. “We may also allow a candidate to fight on RLP’s symbol if the majority of party workers in a local body support the move.”
‘BSP to contest all seats’
The Bahujan Samaj Party has decided to contest all the seats in the local bodies in an attempt to rebuild its organisation after all of its six MLAs switched sides and joined the ruling Congress. The party is finalising candidates in consultation with the district units.
