In an attempt to regain its foothold in the national Capital, Delhi Congress has reportedly decided to field its block presidents, who would be appointed within 50 days, as the party’s candidates in the 2017 municipal elections in the national Capital. All the Congress leaders, who were part of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's Cabinet during her 15-year-rule, have been appointed observers of the district committees. Except former Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh lovely, the ones who have been appointed as observers are former Delhi Ministers AK Walia, Haroon Yusuf, Kiran Walia, Raj Kumar Chauhan, Narender Nath and Yoganand Shastri.
The party, which faced a complete washout in the Assembly and lok Sabha elections in Delhi, is making all out efforts to make a comeback in the municipal polls. The party has already redrawn the boundaries of its blocks in accordance with the municipal wards. Earlier, the party had demarcated two blocks in each of the 70 Assembly segments. After seeking special permission from the Congress Working Committee, the party has demarcated 280 blocks in accordance with the boundaries of the municipal wards. There are 272 municipal wards in Delhi. Besides these wards, there are four each in the Delhi Cantonment Board and the New Delhi Municipal Council.
A highly placed source said that the majority of the new block presidents appointed would be below the age of 35 years. “We want to start preparations at the grassroot level; in every municipal ward from September onwards itself.”
The Congress has already drawn up a list of meetings it will convene from July 21 to August 1 in each of its 14 district. The party has already appointed one observer for each Assembly seat. “But there are two observers in those seats where party could not register its win the past few elections,” a senior local leader said.
The party has directed all its leaders who had contested any of the Assembly or municipal elections to participate in these meetings. Among others invited for these meetings are former MPS, former MlAs, former corporators, ex-PCC delegates, ex block presidents and PCC officer bearers.
Another senior leader said that the primary aim at holding these meetings is to entrust the new observers, ex block and district presidents to identify names of those eligible candidates who can be appointed as the new block chiefs. “The idea is to pick up the best and most deserving candidates, so that they can take up their rivals in the 2017 municipal elections.”