Congress May Forge Alliance For Panchayat Polls

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of Panchayat polls in the state, the Odisha Congress on Sunday said that it may forge an alliance with like-minded parties where needed.

“We have decided to field candidates in all 854 Zilla Parishad zones in the state in the panchayat elections scheduled to be held next year. Where there is a need of political understanding, we may share seats with other like-minded parties, if our local units decide in its favour,” said PCC president Prasad Harichandan.

The party on Sunday held its Sankalp Samabesh meeting here. It was attended by senior party leaders including state in-charge BK Hariprasad, and leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra.

The PCC president said the party has prepared a strategy to reach out to every household during the upcoming polls.

To supervise the elections, 30 senior leaders have been made in-charge of all 30 districts. Besides, the party has appointed election observers in 314 blocks of the state, he added.

The manifesto for the panchayat polls will be prepared soon keeping the local issues in mind.

“We are forming a task force at all panchayat levels. It is in the final stages. The process of formulating the task force at all 6,800-gram panchayats will be finished by next month,” the Congress leader said.

“Neither we are in power at state nor at Centre. So, we can’t give any assurance, but can make promises to fight for the cause of common man, the poor and for the interest of Dalits,” said Harichandan.