Jammu, Aug 04: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Vikar Rasool Wani on Sunday instructed the party leaders and workers to gear up for the upcoming assembly elections. He gave them the target to increase the number of seats in assembly polls, saying they should repeat their performance of recently concluded Lok Sabha elections where Congress secured leads in various assembly segments.
Wani expressed optimism about Congress’s performance in the Lok Sabha polls and called on party members to intensify their efforts against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He inaugurated the party’s campaign aimed at maintaining momentum ahead of the assembly elections, emphasizing a robust outreach strategy across Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). “The campaign will focus on organizing state-wide workers’ conferences to engage with the electorate and highlight key issues such as unemployment, inflation, corruption, and deteriorating law and order under the BJP government,” the party said in a statement.
The J&K Congress Chief said the party is fully prepared for the assembly election “battle”. He outlined a two-point action plan for party workers: first, to highlight the “failures” of the BJP government over the past decade; and second, to showcase the achievements of previous Congress administrations and communicate the party’s future guarantees to voters across J&K.
“We must remain relentless in our efforts,” he said, expressing confidence that Congress would secure a majority in the state post-elections.
Senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla directed District Presidents to effectively organize booth-level agents to strengthen the party’s ground game. He criticized the BJP government for rising inflation and the unprecedented increase in essential commodity prices. He also condemned the implementation of smart meters and additional taxes, which he claimed have exacerbated the public’s hardships.
Bhalla challenged local BJP leaders, questioning their contributions to Jammu and Kashmir and their reluctance to address local issues with the central leadership. He called for strengthening the party at the grassroots level and highlighted several local grievances, including water scarcity, poor road conditions, erratic power supply, and issues with pension schemes and unemployment.
JKPCC leader expressed grave concern over rising unemployment and the lack of development at the grassroots level. “The current government’s performance is a failure,” he said, adding, “Congress is committed to principle-based politics and will not compromise on public aspirations.”
Bhalla vowed that a Congress government would combat inflation and implement policies that benefit all citizens, not just a select few.
Yogesh Sawhney, JKPCC Vice President accused the BJP of being insensitive to public hardships and claimed that the party would face severe consequences for its alleged missteps. He urged the BJP to justify its decisions regarding J&K, which he said were made against the wishes of the people.
District Jammu President Th Manmohan Singh lamented the loss of J&K’s identity under the BJP and appealed to voters to support Congress in the fight for the restoration of statehood. He criticized both the Central and LG administrations for failing to foster development and create a peaceful environment. Singh accused the government of mental torture and highlighted its failure to deliver on its promises, leading to increased alienation among the people.
