Cong, BJP outreach initiative in Raj
Both parties decided to put off announcement of candidates for assembly polls till after Diwali
JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have decided to launch their outreach campaigns in Rajasthan after both parties decided to put off the announcement of candidates for the assembly polls till after Diwali, celebrated on November 7.
The BJP launched on Friday its mass contact programme with chief minister Vasundhara Raje, party’s election incharge and union minister Prakash Javadekar and all MPs and MLAs reaching out to the people to create a mood in favour of the party ahead of the December 7 polls. The party plans to reach out to 10 million people, BJP election management committee convenor Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said.
Javadekar said over the next three days, one million workers at 52,000 booths will go door to door and tell people about the schemes run by the central and state governments.
Raje returned to her constituency, Jhalarapatan, on Wednesday night, and launched the contact prorgramme from there. She met party workers and beneficiaries of government schemes of the state and central governments.
“BJP has started its ‘mahasampark’ programme in which party leaders are visiting polling booths in their areas and meeting beneficiaries of the government schemes,” she told reporters.
The Congress, on the other hand, launched a phone number to involve people in its manifesto. Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot said on Friday that the party was making an effort to bring out a people’s manifesto. “We are communicating with various sections of society such as traders, farmers, seniors, women and tribals for the manifesto and after taking public suggestions between November 15 and 18, the manifesto will be released,” he said.
Party’s manifesto committee head Harish Choudhary said the document will comprise the voice of people. “We have launched a dedicated phone number (9911448200) on which people can call, message, send WhatsApp messages or videos to give suggestions for the manifesto. The number will work for next seven days,” he added.
Pilot inaugurated the facility by sending a message, “I want that the party on priority should focus on providing jobs to youth and on problems faced by farmers.”
The PCC chief said the first list of Congress candidates will be released immediately after Diwali. “In the meetings held suggestions were taken from all the leaders, single name are being finalized but announcement of none have been made,” Pilot said.
Union minister of state and Bikaner MP Arjun Ram Meghwal said ‘manthan’ (discussions) on candidates was on in the party but refused to specify when the first list will be out.