Maharashtra Politics: Congress Leaders Urge Issue-Based Campaigns Ahead Of Local Body Polls

With upcoming Zilla Parishad, Municipal Corporation, and Municipal Council elections in the state, these polls are crucial, and newly appointed Congress office-bearers must take responsibility for issue-based work, said Satej alias Bunty Patil, Congress group leader in the Legislative Council. He urged them to study ward demarcations, group and division structures, and voter lists, and to register objections if necessary.

Patil emphasized reaching out to as many people as possible, noting that 71% of the population uses social media, making it an effective tool for outreach. Speaking at a training workshop for office-bearers in Khadakwasla, he said, “Take up local public issues and hold at least one protest every week. The youth aged 18–25, especially new voters, must be connected with Congress. Start preparing for local body polls and aim to make Maharashtra Congress-oriented in the coming period.”

Social Justice and Census
Congress Working Committee member and AICC Training Department head Sachin Rao guided attendees on “Social Justice and Census,” stressing that development should reach every section of society, which requires accurate data on each social group. He said Rahul Gandhi had persistently demanded a caste-based census, compelling the government to agree. “Every community’s share should be proportionate to its population. Spread awareness about Rahul Gandhi’s role in this issue,” Rao added.

Cultural Politics
On “Cultural Politics,” folk poet Shahir Sambhaji Bhagat warned that all sectors, including festivals, have been commercialized and communalized. “Festivals have been turned into weapons, beginning from homes and schools. Even if the current rulers lose political power, they won’t relinquish cultural power. Congress will get political power, but it will have to reclaim and nurture the poisoned ground,” he said.

Socio-Political Challenges
Senior journalist Niranjan Takle, speaking on “Socio-Political Challenges,” accused certain forces of spreading social hatred to win elections, citing incidents such as the Kopardi case, the custodial death of Somnath Suryawanshi in Parbhani, the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh in Beed, and casteist abuse and assault of three girls by police in Pune. He noted that despite a 17–18 hour sit-in, police refused to register a case under the SC/ST Act.

“Hindu–Muslim tensions are being deliberately created. Citizenship is being questioned, and with the introduction of SIR, the government is now choosing voters. The state has introduced a Public Security Bill, raising the bogey of ‘urban Naxalism.’ Even the judiciary is not untouched—judges have started making strange remarks. The current rulers are driving the country towards ruin for corporates like Adani and Ambani,” Takle alleged.

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Administration and Party Workers
Former bureaucrat Mahesh Zagade, in his talk on “Administration and Party Workers,” said that while democracy is often described as a chariot with governance and administration as its two wheels, in reality, administration behaves as though it is the government itself. “Administration is meant to support governance, but it should not be servile—it should be independent. The system has strong protection, making it difficult to remove. Party office-bearers must understand the workings of administration,” he said.

Workshop to Conclude on August 12
The workshop for newly appointed office-bearers will conclude tomorrow, August 12, with guidance from AICC in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, AICC Media Department chief Pawan Khera, historian Ashok Kumar Pandey, and senior journalist Sanjay Awate.