District Congress Committees meet on civic elections from today

Hyderabad: The District Congress Committees (DCC) will hold meetings for three days to discuss the upcoming municipal elections to be held in the first or second week of August. The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has directed the DCCs to hold meetings on July 13, 14 and 15. The meetings will be held in the presence of coordinators appointed by the TPCC.

The TPCC has appointed its vice-presidents, general secretaries and secretaries as coordinators for the DCCs. They will help the DCC presidents to discuss the issues confronting the party.

The DCCs have been directed to go through the all aspects and the problems the party is likely to face in the upcoming elections to municipalities and municipal corporations falling in their limits.

There are five municipalities on an average under each DCC limits. Some of the districts have corporations. The district committees have been asked to select the potential candidates for the wards at the meeting to be held from July 13 to 15.

They have been told to find one candidate for each ward on 'select and elect' basis. If there are more contenders for each ward, the names should be sent to the TPCC for final decision.

However, some of the leaders have suggested that it would be better to wait for the announcement of the schedule of the polls by the State Election Commission as the government is proposing to bring new Municipal Act. They said the government is yet to complete the reservation of wards. Therefore, there was no need for early meetings.

The TPCC had rejected these objections and directed the DCCs to follow the schedule being given to them. Senior leaders said the ruling party may try to surprise the opposition parties with the snap polls.

The DCCs were told to invite those who aspired to contest in Assembly and Parliament elections, Town Congress Committee presidents, former Ministers to the meetings. District committees should assess the strengths and weaknesses of the party in each ward and decide a strategy to overcome the hurdles.

The committees should see that party wins majority of the wards in each municipality and corporation. The TPCC will meet in next week and go through the reports to be sent by the DCCs.

The TPCC sub-committee being appointed for the municipal polls will examine them and give suggestions to DCCs to chalk out a good strategy to win the polls, according to sources.

The TPCC may decide the candidates for the chairperson posts in advance and they may be given a bigger role in managing the elections in their respective municipalities and corporations.