Eye on elections,political parties chart out strategies

Sources said a prime reason for the Congress campaign on Ambedkar’s birth anniversary was that Dalit leaders of the state were annoyed with the ruling Congress-NCP alliance and some of them,like Ramdas Athawale,were hobnobbing with the Shiv Sena.

The Congress would use Dalit leaders in the party to lead the campaign in slums and traditionally segregated settlements in villages where the community resides.

The NCP,on the other hand,is preparing itself to claim credit for the announcement of 50 per cent quota for women in local bodies. The party would also pay special attention to farmers during the election year.

A senior NCP leader pointed out that the state was the first in the country when Sharad Pawar,as the then chief minister,had granted 33 per cent quota for women in local bodies.

Rural Development Minister Jayant Patil (NCP) moved a Bill to amend the gram panchayat,zilla parishad and panchayat samiti laws to raise the reservation to 50 per cent in the Assembly on Monday.

The NCP is also preparing to focus on farmers by projecting its president and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar as their messiah. The party will organise special meetings of women,farmers and sarpanchs to consolidate its position.

The allies — Congress and NCP — are unlikely to enter into a pre-poll alliance for the forthcoming local polls. Both the parties are also vying for credit for the proposed rise in women’s reservation,with Congress leaders pointing out that the Union Cabinet had taken the decision over a year ago.

Elections to 27 of the 33 zilla parishads,10 of the 23 municipal corporations (including those in Mumbai,Pune,Thane,Nashik and Nagpur),and over 100 municipal councils are due in a year.