Bihar Cong to go solo for 'Save MGNREGA' campaign
PATNA, Jan. 7 -- The Congress's state unit in Bihar, like all party units across India, will hit the streets with the "Save MGNREGA" campaign all alone, with its allies extending distant support. The campaign will run from January 10 to February 25.
Congress' senior leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan confirmed this: "We are going to run the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram entirely on our strength in Bihar." Khan maintained that the state Congress leadership was well equipped to run the campaign across the state and the support of other allies in the opposition bloc was not required.
The party will hold a meeting of district presidents and senior party leaders on January 8 to decide the dates of the campaign to be conducted district wise.
After Bihar assembly elections, cracks have surfaced within the Mahagathbandhan alliance, with the RJD and Congress accusing each other of mismanaging the poll campaign.
Khan dismissed any hint of disunity in the alliance. "It is not a question of any disunity. There is no need for support from other parties for this campaign," he asserted. He added that other parties run their similar campaigns separately.
Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar said that the MNGREGA Bachao Sangram is a party's initiative and being run in the state as per the guidelines of the AICC by adhering to the calendar of various sits-in, protest marches and rallies to be held till February end.
Meanwhile, RJD functionaries said there has been no communication from the state Congress for participating in the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram till date. "There has been no communication or invitation from the Congress to the RJD for participation in the new campaign against VB-G RAM G. So, we are not in any position to suggest whether the RJD would join the campaign or not," said a senior RJD leader.
The CPI-ML(liberation), a key left party in Bihar, too said that the party would not join the Congress-led campaign against the new central legislation. "We are holding our own campaign. On January 5 and January 6, the demonstrations and meetings were held at block-level across the state by our party leaders against the scrapping of the MGNREGA. In the future, if there is any decision on a joint campaign of opposition parties, the ML would take a call on it," said Pervej, a senior ML leader.
The Congress a few days back announced to conduct a nationwide "MGNREGA Bachao Sangram" (Save MGNREGA campaign) from January 10 to February 25 for withdrawal of Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) Act and restoration of MGNREGA, a rural job scheme for unskilled rural workers from economically weaker sections guaranteeing 100 days of work for various asset building activities and other earth works.
During the campaign, district level press conferences, sit-ins and rallies would be held at the panchayat level to state level to drum up public support against the implementation VB-G RAM G ....
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