Thiruvananthapuram: Ahead of the 2019 elections, AICC plans to reach out to the people to raise awareness about various issues with a particular focus on the first-time voters.
A massive people contact and funds collection programme, 'Sakthi/Lok Sampark Abhiyan' through its booth-level workers is now underway to counter BJP president Amit Shah's much-hyped 'Sampark for Samarthan' (Contact for Support) programme.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched the nationwide programme on Oct 2 to meet eminent personalities from different fields till former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary on Nov 19.
Though 'Lok Sampark Abhiyan' was launched on Gandhi Jayanti nationwide, it's delayed in Kerala. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala will inaugurate the Sakthi/Lok Sampark Abhiyan at Indira Bhavan here on Monday at 10 am.
"AICC had asked all the PCCs to prepare a database of community leaders, influential individuals and business people right from the booth-level up to the state-level to tap the prospects in time for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The data will then be linked with the party's App, 'Shakti', which is its virtual interface with the Congress workers," said an AICC member from the state.
Mr Gandhi had asked all the AICC general secretaries in-charge of states to monitor the campaigns in coordination with respective PCC and AICC secretaries.
The door-to-door campaign targeting the first time voters will focus the Congress ideology and how the BJP government had hijacked various welfare schemes brought out by the previous two UPA dispensations.
Of funds raised, 50 per cent will go to state units, which would keep 25 per cent, and distribute the rest to DCCs - 15 per cent - and BCCs - 10 per cent.
KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran will preside over the state-level launch function attended by AICC general secretaries Mukul Wasnik, Oommen Chandy and K. C. Venugopal, CWC permanent invitee P. C. Chacko, All India Professionals Congress chairman Shashi Tharoor MP, AICC data analytics department chairman Praveen Chakravarty, national co-ordinator Swapna Patronis and joint co-ordinator John Ashok Varadarajan.
The daylong session divided into two sittings will also see KPCC's high power Political Affairs Committee members, DCC presidents, KPCC office bearers, former KPCC presidents, AICC members, MPs, MLAs, block committee presidents attending.
