Tura, Feb 19: The All India Congress Committee, the grand old party’s apex decision making body, has dispatched a central observer to the Garo Hills to start the process of selecting party leaders at the district and block level, in a bid to strengthen its position ahead of upcoming elections to the GHADC. The party has opened its application process to any member from the grassroot level giving the foot soldiers the power to decide their next generation of leaders.
AICC observer for the Sangatan Srijan Abhiyan in West Garo Hills district and Chairman of Telangana state government’s Chairman for Tribal Financial Development Corporation, Dr Nellaiah Naik Tejavath, addressed a press conference at Tura’s Congress Bhawan on Thursday to inform about the latest development in the party’s decision-making process.
“The Congress, which has over 140-year-old history, took a decision in the last plenary session held at Gujarat that the opinion of the party’s ground level workers and karyakartas will be taken while constituting the district level, block and PCC bodies to strengthen the party,” informed Dr Tejavath.
He said that the decision to involve the basic members of the party who work at the grassroots in the decision-making process was taken by Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge during the plenary session.
“Earlier, the opinion of state leaders was taken before constituting DCC, BCC and PCC level presidents, general secretaries and other leaders. But, this time our leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Kharge took a new decision, with the support of AICC members at the Gujarat session, that appointments should be based on merit and opinion of the ground level workers of the party. Which is why we are giving out forms for the positions and anybody can apply, including the karyakartas at the grassroot level,” said Dr Tejavath.
The move to strengthen the party in the Garo Hills comes just weeks before elections take place to the 30 member Garo Hills Autonomous District Council. The ruling NPP appears to be in pole position to grab the largest share of seats but the Congress, which once held sway in the region, is also mobilizing its party machinery indicating a direct fight between the two rivals in a majority of the constituencies that are up for grabs.
