Mane Manege Congress launched to counter BJP’s Vistarak in Karnataka

Mane Manege Congress launched to counter BJP’s Vistarak in Karnataka

Bengaluru (One India) : People-connect programs are the flavor of the political season in Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections in 2018. In a bid to counter the BJP’s Vistarak program and the JD(S)’ village hopping plan, the ruling party in the state launched “Mane Manege Congress” program on Saturday. With this, the party hopes to approach people at their doorsteps seeking support, much like what the BJP and JD(S) are doing.

 Senior leaders of the Congress including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka unit in-charge general secretary K C Venugopal launched the ambitious program today that aims at highlighting the governments ‘achievements’ in the last four years.

 “We have fulfilled 155 out of the 165 promises made in our election manifesto. A booklet of the government’s achievements in the last four years has to reach every doorstep in Karnataka and our workers will work towards that,” said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The Congress, for the very first time, has made attempts to strengthen the organizational structure from the grassroots level with booth, block and district committees. “Mane Manege Congress will apprise the people of this state the achievements of our government in the last four years. More than six crore people will be informed of how we have kept our promises up. Our booth level workers will reach every doorstep with this program,” said KPCC President, Dr G Parameshwar.

The Congress has decided to appoint 66,000 booth-level agents covering all 224 Assembly constituencies. The primary job of the agents would be to highlight achievements of the Congress government while countering BJP’s attempts to consolidate support in its favour. The BJP began its people-connect program with the Jan Sampark Abhiyaan and the Vistarak program- both brainchild of party national president Amit Shah. The Vistarak program of the BJP proved as an impressive tool of self-evaluation for the party. The program also helped party leaders connect with the public. The JD(S) on the otherhand, with H D Kumaraswamy leading the way, has decided to undertake village visits to connect with the rural masses-the party’s voter base.

 Taking a leaf out of both, the Congress has come up with its own people-connect program. The booklet- the party hopes- will remind the people of the party’s performance in the state. With a non-existent anti-incumbency factor, the Congress is confident of a win in the assembly elections but the people-connect program is an attempt to counter any attempts by the BJP to change the mood of the people at the ground level.