Congress appoints manifesto coordinators in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Congress has appointed manifesto process coordinators in each of the 21 Lok Sabha seats to consult people and include their feedback in the party's manifesto. The coordinators will mobilise workers in all the 147 assembly constituencies under the Lok Sabha seats.
The coordinators have been given February 26 deadline to touch all the 147 assembly constituencies ahead of party president Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled visit to Odisha on March 2. Though Rahul was scheduled to visit on February 28, his tour has been postponed to March 2. He is likely to address a public meeting either at Jeypore or Bargarh.

Niranjan said the purpose of appointing coordinators is to reach out the people in grassroots and receive their views that will figure in our manifesto. “We are going to replicate the manifesto model of Chhattisgarh. Public participation for preparation of the manifesto was widely appreciated by people, who voted the Congress to power in the neighbouring state. Like Chhattisgarh, our manifesto’s focus will also be on welfare of farmers,” Congress state president Niranjan Patnaik said, adding “Our manifesto team has been visiting different districts since last two months and receiving people’s feedback. Appointment of the process coordinators will further boost our efforts of involving common people in the manifesto making process.”

Niranjan’s remarks assumed significance as Chhattisgarh’s chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and health minister T S Singhdeo visited Odisha a few days ago and shared their successful poll strategies with the state Congress leaders. On February 11, Singhdeo along with several leaders from Odisha Congress visited Jagatsinghpur district and interacted with people of all walks of life for preparation of the manifesto. More leaders from Chhattisgarh are likely to visit Odisha in the run-up to the general polls.

Congress leader Manas Choudhury, who has been appointed as the manifesto process coordinator for Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat, said efforts are being made to consult different stakeholders, including farmers, students, lawyers, teachers, women self-help members and journalists for preparation of the manifesto. “We will ensure that our party’s manifesto reflects the voice of common people. Apart from involving people in the preparation of manifesto, we will highlight the failures of BJD government in the state and BJP at the Centre,” Choudhury said.

Sources said those, associated with the manifesto team have been strictly asked to make their presence felt in almost all blocks and panchayats in 147 assembly constituencies so that Rahul can highlight the party’s vibrant people-connect exercise in his March 2 speech.