02 July,2011 06:41 AM IST | | Ravikiran Deshmukh
Taking a leaf out of the Congress Party's book, ministers from the Nationalist Congress Party will be meeting party workers on designated days to hear their grievances
The National Congress Party and the Congress Party may have decided to part ways and contest elections independently this year. But it appears that their methods of garnering public support are quite identical. After the Congress party revived its old custom of convening janata darbars to make its elected ministers available and accountable to party supporters, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has taken a leaf out of its book and decided to follow suit. In a bid to encourage such interaction, NCP ministers will soon be meeting with the party workers at the state headquarters in Nariman Point.
It may be remembered that the Congress party, which is NCP's senior partner in the present Democratic Front government, has already been hosting janata darbars at its Gandhi Bhavan office on Tuesdays every week.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has promised to make himself available at the party office on Thursdays from 8.30 am to 10.30 am, to listen to the grievances of party workers. These darbars will also be open to members of the public soon.
While announcing the initiative, party spokesman Madan Bafna declared that first on Pawar's agenda would be meeting NCP workers, to discuss and understand the rationale behind several issues raised by them.
In addition to the time allotted by Pawar, all 20 ministers who are NCP members will be available at the office on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
A senior NCP leader explained that though Pawar would initially prioritise the issues raised by party workers, common people desiring to put forward their grievances without having to cut through red tape could also meet Pawar in due course of time.
The party honchos have decided to earmark the spacious meeting hall and the chambers of party office bearers for the planned meetings. To avoid crowding in the office, the ministers will organise themselves into groups and thereafter make themselves available on a rotational basis, choosing between morning or afternoon sessions.
This move is being perceived as the party's attempt to consolidate the public's trust. It is part of the party's attempts to address the frequently leveled complaint that members of the public are only allowed to
enter the Mantralaya after 2 pm every working day, after spending hours in the serpentine queue to obtain an entry pass.u00a0
The move is also strategically timed, as it may go a long way in sprucing up the party's image just in time for the upcoming civic and local body elections. It is also aimed at weaning followers away from the Congress party in its own direction, in the wake of the announcement that the two parties would be contesting elections independently this year.
