BackCongress, NCP look to exploit demonetisation impact in district polls
Congress and NCP functionaries feel the impact of demonetisation especially on the farm sector and rural economy would be a key factor in the district council polls
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Mumbai: The opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party plan to start separate public campaigns on the impact of demonetisation.
Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan said on Thursday that the Congress party will organise “the kind of anti-currency ban protest seen during the pre-Independence days against the colonial rule".
NCP president Sharad Pawar announced on Wednesday that the NCP would launch its agitation with protests at each district headquarters on 9 January.
The planned agitation assumes significance because elections to the district councils (zilla parishad) of as many as 26 districts are likely to be held in February. Also, February will see elections to ten municipal corporations including Mumbai. Congress and NCP functionaries feel the impact of demonetisation especially on the farm sector and rural economy would be a key factor in the district council polls.
“Currency shortage, lack of adequate Rabi season credit, and loss of rural jobs are causing considerable unrest in rural areas," said a member of the state Congress committee seeking anonymity. He conceded that the party was not able to successfully exploit demonetisation in the recent municipal council polls but pointed out that the Congress had not done as badly as was being “perceived".
“...Demonetisation will be a swing issue in these polls (for two reasons). One, the rural parts are really bearing the brunt of demonetisation unlike the towns which have some access to digital transactions. Two, demonetisation disrupted what otherwise was set to be a bountiful farming season following good monsoon. Farmers are angry everywhere," said the Congress leader.
“Congress and NCP are in power in over 70% of the 26 district councils going to polls. Some element of anti-incumbency was there but it has been virtually nullified by demonetisation now," said a senior NCP leader, a star campaigner in the district council polls, requesting anonymity.
Ashok Chavan said the rural economy had come to a standstill after demonetisation." This decision was taken arbitrarily without any preparation. Naturally, it has caused large scale chaos. The Congress party will hit the streets in January as its duty towards people harassed by this arbitrariness," the Congress MP said.
In the first three phases of municipal council polls, the ruling BJP emerged the overall winner in terms of the number of seats and posts of municipal council president. The last phase is on 8 January. A spokesperson for the state election commission said the schedule of district council and municipal corporation polls is likely to be announced in early January.
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