KPCC gearing up for urban local bodies elections

Bangalore, Apr 6(UNI) The Congress party is preparing itself for the forthcoming elections to local urban bodies and gearing up the party machinery to highlight the non-performance of the JD(S)-BJP coalition government in the State, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Chief Mallikarjuna Kharge said today.

Speaking to newsmen here, he said that failure of the state government in combating the acute drinking water problem, non-utilisation of the central grants released for drought relief works, drastic cut in budgetary allocations for Irrigation, Power, Housing and bungling of the farm loan waiver scheme were the main issues the party would raise during the campaign.

Eight teams, headed by senior leaders, would tour the State and address election meetings. Each team have been given responsibility of a minimum 25 local bodies and also involve in the selection of party candidates, he said.

Ruling out any possibility of poll alliance with the JD(S), Mr Kharge said that ''as long as it (JD-S) was with the communal forces, there was no question of having any electoral understanding with it.

He said that the party had sent a notice to the Legislative Assembly for moving resolution in support of UPA government's efforts to ensure 27 per cent reservation for OBCs following recent Supreme Court's verdict on the issue. If the State government failed to move the resolution, the party would press for its own notice and pass it.

Criticising the State government's decision to waive-off purchase tax for the Sugarcane supplied to the factories, Mr Kharge said that it should be applicable from October 2006 otherwise farmers from Northern Karnataka will not benefit.

He reiterated party's demand for extension of the farm-loan waiver scheme to all the farmers who have availed loans from the financial institutions.

UNI