Congress Shows Unity Ahead Of Sarpanch Elections In Adilabad

Adilabad: Senior Congress leaders in Adilabad district are presenting a united front, setting aside internal differences and factional groups to put up a strong fight against Opposition parties in the upcoming sarpanch elections.

Newly elected Adilabad DCC president Naresh Jadhav has personally met all senior leaders, including former MLAs, and requested them to attend the party’s coordination meeting scheduled for tomorrow.

The coordination meeting, which will bring together key leaders from across the district, will finalise candidates in consultation with gram panchayat-level leaders.

A senior Congress leader told Deccan Chronicle that the party is persuading aspiring candidates to withdraw if they are weak contenders, to ensure that only strong and winnable candidates are fielded. “Otherwise, the party’s prospects will suffer,” he said.

The newly elected DCC presidents are also likely to attend a scheduled meeting with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

It is learnt that during Naresh Jadhav’s meeting with senior leaders, a unanimous decision was taken to rent a building for the DCC office so that party cadre and second-rung leaders have round-the-clock access, instead of visiting leaders’ homes to address public issues. The party leadership is placing special focus on Assembly constituencies currently held by the BJP and BRS.

The Adilabad Lok Sabha constituency has four BJP MLAs out of a total of seven MLAs, along with a BJP MP. Only one Congress MLA represents the region. The Adilabad, Sirpur (T), Nirmal and Mudhole seats are all held by the BJP.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, DCC president Naresh Jadhav said that party candidates for sarpanch elections will be chosen only after consulting all aspirants in each gram panchayat, and those with the strongest chances of winning will be fielded, even though sarpanch elections are officially non-party based.

Senior Congress leaders in agency and tribal areas are helping candidates by clearing pending electricity bills and house taxes required for filing nominations. They are also providing voter lists, photocopies of model ballot papers, and wall posters for the campaign. In many cases, Congress leaders are bearing these expenses for candidates who are unable to afford them in the agency and tribal regions of Adilabad, Nirmal, Mancherial and Komaram Bheem Asifabad districts.