JOIN USPolitical parties in Dakshina Kannada, who were in poll mood even prior to the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, have chalked out different strategies to woo the voters.
The BJP has strengthened its Shakthi Kendras across the district. Each Shakthi Kendra comprises five booths. The district has nearly 417 Shakthi Kendras and around 54 Mahashakthi Kendras, formed by merging seven to eight Shakthi Kendras.
The meetings of the party workers are conducted in each Shakthi Kendra to work out a strategy for the campaign and also to highlight the NDA government’s achievements in an effective manner to the voters.
Door-to-door
Party workers had carried out door-to-door campaign, presenting voters with the achievements of the BJP-led NDA government. A leaflet titled ‘Jana Jagruthi Abhiyana’ to urge citizens to vote for a secure country and also make voting mandatory was carried out in rural areas. The leaflet is published by Samartha Bharatha in Bengaluru and lists out the NDA government’s programmes, including the government’s plea in Supreme Court to permit it to return the excess land around the disputed site in Ayodhya to original owners and surgical strikes, among others.
The BJP even had launched ‘Mera Parivar BJP Parivar’ in the month of February. A sticker declaring ‘Nanna Parivara BJP Parivara’ was also pasted on the doors of party workers, followers’ houses, in addition to hoisting the BJP flag in their respective houses. The BJP is targeting the youth in particular by showcasing achievements of the NDA government on social media.
MP’s failures
The Congress too had activated its accounts in social media, including Facebook and Twitter and is using failures of the local MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, including delay in completing NH works, flyovers as a weapon to counter the BJP. The party had attempted to grab the attention of the voters by staging protest against the merger of the Vijaya Bank, and road works – especially the four-laning of B C Road to Addahole.
Booth committees have been constituted in 1,861 booths, with each committee having a president and a secretary. Further, the Block Congress Committees have started ‘Janasamparka Abhiyan’ by visiting the houses of voters.
MLC Ivan D’Souza and DCC president Harish Kumar said, “The Congress is all set to face the election. The workers have been trained and the party was strengthened at booth-level.”
Academy
The Rajiv Gandhi National Political Academy at Tenka Yermal in Udupi district has trained master trainers – comprising DCC office-bearers, KPCC members – in the month of December, to equip them to train the booth-level cadres further.
The JD(S), an alliance partner of the Congress, too has focussed on strengthening the party in different parts of the district.
JD(S) state vice president M B Sadashiva said, “Nalin Kumar Kateel’s poor performances will benefit the Congress. The booth-level campaign committee will have workers from both the parties.”