Congress to poll party workers’ on civic poll candidates

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) Eyeing a comeback in Delhi's civic bodies, the Congress on Monday said that it will decide on its candidates after taking feedback from party workers in each ward.

"Congress will select the candidates for the civic elections after taking feedback from booth-level party workers of prospective candidates in each ward," Delhi Congress unit chief Ajay Maken told reporters here.

"The candidates will have to submit their applications, along with with their bio-data, at the control room to be set up at the Delhi party office, and the candidates would be selected after talking to booth-level workers and leaders," the Congress leader said.

He also said that the last date for submission of applications would be a week from the final declaration of seats to be reserved. "The party will mostly field clean and youth candidates," he said.

Maken also launched "Toot gayi vikas ki dor, Vapas Chalo Congress ki aur" (Development has come to a halt, Let's return to Congress) as the party's slogan.

He said, "The people of Delhi are fed up with the 10-year rule of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) in the civic bodies, while on the other hand, the two-year rule of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi has witnessed a total stagnation in development works."

Hitting out at the AAP, Maken said, "AAP has been in power for over two years, but not a single brick has been laid for the development of unauthorised colonies."

He also accused the Delhi government of locking horns with the central government and the Lt. Governor on each and every issue, leaving little time to concentrate on development.

"When chikungunya and dengue took epidemic proportions in Delhi, all the ministers of Delhi were touring outside the city," he alleged.

The Congress would prepare a charge-sheet against the AAP government in Delhi and the BJP-ruled civic bodies, which will be published on January 31, he said.

"Two committees have been formed under Farhad Suri, leader of the Opposition in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), and chief spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee to prepare the charge-sheets," he added.

He also said that the party will hold conventions in all districts of the city from February 4 to 16, in which the charge-sheets will be prepared, so that Congress workers can go around the houses to explain the failures of the AAP and the BJP.

"We will explain how the Congress government carried out all-round developments for the regularisation of unauthorised colonies.