The Gujarat unit of the Congress has called for an "extended" executive committee meeting on July 25, to be attended by at least 600 party leaders and workers to prepare a blueprint for local body polls in the state later this year.
Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki said here today that national leaders like Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel will also be present to guide local leaders to strategise for local body polls, expected to be held in October this year.
"This will be an extended executive meet, because apart from permanent members, we have invited various office bearers from across Gujarat, like MLAs, district presidents, observers, presidents of municipalities of taluka panchayats and other leaders" Solanki said at a press conference today.
He said that the meeting will be held in Vadodara under the banner of 'Navsarjan Gujarat'.
"The aim is to finalise our strategy for forthcoming local body polls. As the title suggests, we want to prepare a vision document about how Gujarat can be rebuilt as per the aspirations of the people, who are not satisfied with the BJP-led state government," Solanki said.
He said that suggestions of grassroot level leaders will be taken into account to finalise the poll strategy.
"We will discuss various subjects like education, situation of youth as well as women, problems faced by farmers, besides law and order situation. Apart from Ahmed Patel, Gujarat Congress in-charge Gurudas Kamat along with All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretaries Ashwini Sekhri and Sajjan Singh will be present at the meeting," Solanki said.
Solanki criticised Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel for her alleged remarks on the opposition which was reported by the media.
As per these media reports, Patel said in her speech at Kheda yesterday that she belonged to a family of farmers and knew how to use a sickle against the opposition.
"Such statements can only come from a person who is selfish, arrogant and corrupt. I criticise such mentality of the CM. I have been requesting our PM to call her to Delhi and appoint someone else as CM here, since she has failed on all fronts," Solanki said.
