Panchayat Polls 2018: A Crucial Test for BJP

Panchayat Polls 2018: A Crucial Test for BJP

Special Correspondent

Silchar: The ensuing panchayat elections are going to be a crucial test for BJP and a challenge before its leadership. Speaking specifically about the strategy of the saffron party in Barak Valley, Dr Rajdeep Roy, state spokesperson of BJP, said, “We will have development as our poll plank to keep our adversaries, Congress and AIUDF, at bay.

This time he ruled out any major challenge from AIUDF, which except in Hailakandi, is a force on decline in the valley”. On the whole, as he said, the party would do better and for that booth level exercises for mass contact have been taken up on priority level. Besides, particular focus will be to motivate women, now more conscious politically, to make them poll bound to ensure maximum exercise of franchise.

BJP will have to throw all its phalanx to recapture ground from AIUDF in Hailakandi district. Ajmal party has the advantage in this southern most part of Barak Valley with all the three assembly seats of Hailakandi, Katlicherra and Algapur in its net. In the district of Karimganj, BJP again is in for tough contest from both Congress and AIUDF. Notwithstanding the challenge, Dr Rajdeep Roy said “With fast changing face of rural areas of the bordering district in respect of connectivity, health care, supply of electricity and education, BJP is confident of drumming up support for its candidates in the polls scheduled for December 9 in the valley.”

Significantly, the party bagged two of the five assembly seats of Patharkandi and Ratabari in the last assembly elections of 2016.

It is advantage BJP in Cachar as of the seven assembly seats, the party has set its mark in six in the last general elections. Can the party make its presence felt in all the 27 zila parishads and 163 gaon panchayats of the district? Dr Roy is confident of better performance with party leaders and workers making all out efforts to reach out the people and woo them to vote.

In fact, on development front, not only Cachar but the entire valley has undergone sea change due mainly to the implementation of central and state schemes and projects though there are still areas which stand in need of socio-economic amelioration. A trip round the rural belts brings out the glaring changes post Narendra Modi government at the centre. This has been further boosted up with the installation of Sarbananda Sonowal led government at Dispur. The major thrust has been on maintaining transparency and accountability of the administration from GP to block to district levels. Women folk have been greatly benefited through the novel health schemes for mother-child care. “Target beneficiaries now get the benefits of schemes direct. Middle men and commission raj, offspring of Congress, have been eliminated,” pointed out the state BJP spokesperson.

What puts BJP at advantageous point is that leaders and workers are united to work for better results at the hustlings. Notwithstanding simmering rumblings here and there, the party presents a cohesive face in contrast to the internal rifts and conflicts in Congress and AIUDF, the latter having lost much of its earlier gusto and strength. In the words of Dr Rajdeep Roy, panchayat polls will be a direct fight between BJP and Congress for all the 27 ZPCs and 163 GPs in Cachar. In Hailakandi and Karimganj, the battle is poised for triangular contest involving AIUDF also. Much is at stake for the political parties in fray as it will have its impact on the next parliamentary and assembly elections, say political analysts.

Also read: Cachar News

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