Ahead of LS polls, Cong to hold conventions in all districts next month

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress will be holding conventions in each district headquarters in January in its push to secure “at least 20 seats” in the Lok Sabha elections to be conducted later in the year.

The strategy appears to be using grassroots level outreach to convince voters that the four guarantees that have already been implemented have made life easier for the poorer sections of society.

Congress bigwigs such as All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and district incharge ministers are likely to take part in the conventions.

They also seek to attack the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre over “failures” on fronts such as job creation, rising prices, and the promise of doubling farmers’ income which hasn’t come to pass despite being 10 years in power.

This would be followed by block and booth level workers going door-to-door to impress upon people the benefits of the guarantees.

Congress is keen on selling the idea of universal basic income, a concept endorsed by many economists.

The idea is that putting “Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000” in the hands of the poor will help them tide over the vagaries of inflation.

Congress’ guarantees in Karnataka include Gruha Jyoti Yojane which gives free electricity to every household whose consumption is under 200 units, Gruha Lakshmi under which Rs 2,000 is wired every month to “woman head of every household” and Anna Bhagya that promises 10 kgs of rice monthly to Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders.

The other two guarantees are Yuva Nidhi Yojana, which promises Rs 3,000 monthly allowance for unemployed graduates and Rs1,500 a month to diploma holders between jobs passing from the academic year 2022-23, besides free government bus travel for women under the Shakti scheme.

Only the Yuva Nidhi Yojana is yet to be implemented, registration for which is slated to begin in January as well.

Office bearers to be replaced

Secondly, the Grand Old Party is also hoping new office bearers would be appointed to the Karnataka unit of the party to breathe new life into the campaign ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Around 15 District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents are also likely to be replaced in keeping with the structural overhaul. The replacement of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working presidents has been overdue since August.

Party workers are of the view that too many people holding key posts in Karnataka Congress were also members of Chief Minister’s Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet and could not do justice to both roles especially since general elections are around the corner.