http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Congress-wants-Maya-to-give-more-power-to-panchayats/articleshow/6494209.cms
Congress wants Maya to give more power to panchayats Subodh Ghildiyal, TNN, Sep 5, 2010, 04.26am IST NEW DELHI: Congress will launch a campaign aimed at pressing UP's Mayawati government to empower panchayats as envisaged by Panchayati Raj, in a political gambit pitting the BSP chief against the "Rajiv Gandhi" legacy to woo the rural electorate. The party campaign for devolution of powers to panchayats will coincide with culmination of three-tier panchayat elections due to start later this month in UP even though the party has decided to skip local body elections this year. While panchayat polls are not held on a party-basis, political outfits have been issuing support to individuals through letters, advertisements and party flags. Aware that it was still some distance from regaining organisational muscle to emerge a key player in the state, Congress is trying to turn its handicap into a weapon. While a defeat of party candidates in panchayats would have spoilt the perception about a rising Congress, selection of nominees from among many aspirants at local levels risked stoking infighting. Instead, Congress has hit upon a plan to apply pressure on the state government for "power to panchayats". The idea is to "ask Mayawati to work on panchayati raj as envisaged by Rajiv Gandhi". It will not be an easy demand for Mayawati to fulfill as transferring powers to panchayats will significantly prune the state's authority. Rajiv Gandhi's name, it is hoped, will refresh people's memory about the leader's dream about devolution of power to villages, besides drawing a connect between them and Rahul Gandhi who is leading the party campaign. But larger objective is to polarise panchayats against BSP by telling them the Constitution envisages a bigger role in governance for them. It is hoped the campaign will mobilise panchayats in favour of Congress. The sarpanches are crucial to poll campaigns owing to their clout in village-level decision making.
