Parties preparing for show of power in K'taka gram panchayat election

Mangaluru: The BJP and the Congress have begun preparations for campaigning in the coastal districts of Karnataka in the forthcoming gram panchayat elections.

Both parties have also accelerated the function of party organization at the grassroots level and are organizing meetings of activists.

The State Election Commission has already begun the pre-election preparations such as appointing election officers and assistant election officers at the gram panchayats. The Commission is likely to release a notification about the elections in late October.

The previous gram panchayat elections were held on May 29, 2015. In Dakshina Kannada district, out of a total of 3,399 seats, 109 were elected unopposed and in Udupi district, out of a total of 2,398 seats, 272 were elected unopposed.

Presently, there are 154 gram panchayats in Udupi district and 229 in Dakshina Kannada district. Out of these, elections will be held in 226 gram panchayats.

There are 1,916 booths in Dakshina Kannada and 1,111 booths in Udupi districts. All parties have already assigned district level and subordinate officers for the elections.

“The BJP is preparing for the gram panchayat elections. In every assembly constituency, village and booth level ‘prabharis’ have been appointed and the party is organizing meetings of local office-bearers and party workers. Panchayat-level responsibilities have also been entrusted to the leaders of various Morchas and other wings of the party. The process of identification of candidates is underway by meeting with party workers at booth level,” said a joint statement by Sudarshan Moodubidir, president of Dakshina Kannada BJP and Suresh Nayak, president of Udupi District BJP.

“The Congress party has already started preparations to win the highest number of seats in the coming gram panchayat polls and has started strengthening committees at village and booth levels and holding workers meetings. State President Salim Ahmed has already arrived in the district and held meetings with the officials and leaders of various sections of the party. Throughout the Udupi district, the party is being organized at the village and booth level with programs such as “One Day, One Page, One Family,” said the joint statement by K Harish Kumar, President of Dakshina Kannada District Congress and Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, President of Udupi District Congress.