New Delhi/Ahmedabad, March 5 (NationPress) The Congress party has established a series of state-level committees in Gujarat to effectively manage its preparations for the upcoming local body elections scheduled for this year. Senior leaders have been tasked with overseeing crucial areas such as strategy, campaign operations, and election management as the party initiates its organizational groundwork.

In a statement released on Thursday, party general secretary K.C. Venugopal announced that the Congress president has granted approval for the formation of these committees, which will take effect immediately for the forthcoming local body elections in Gujarat.

The Strategy Committee will be led by Bharatsinh Solanki, with Lalji Desai serving as vice chairman and Hemang Vasavada acting as convenor.

Heading the Campaign Committee is Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil, who will be supported by Paresh Dhanani as vice chairman and Lok Sabha MP Geniben Thakor as convenor.

The Election Management Committee, which will supervise organizational aspects and electoral coordination, will be presided over by Siddharth Patel. MLA Jignesh Mevani has been appointed as vice chairman, while senior leader and former minister Bimal Shah will take on the role of convenor.

Additionally, the Program Implementation Committee will be chaired by Jagdish Thakor, with Indravijaysinh Gohil as vice chairman and Himmatsinh Patel as convenor.

To outline the party's election agenda, the Manifesto Committee will be led by MLA Shailesh Parmar, with Rutvik Makwana serving as vice chairman and Dr. Manish Doshi as convenor.

Furthermore, the party has set up committees dedicated to handling communication and publicity, each consisting of three members.

Shah commented to IANS that the establishment of these committees has been sanctioned by the central leadership of the party, marking a significant milestone in their election preparations.

He emphasized, "The formation of these committees is vital, and the high command has endorsed them."

Shah remarked that the upcoming local body elections hold strategic importance for the party in Gujarat. "We take these elections very seriously as they will influence the 2027 Assembly elections," he stated.

According to him, the state leadership proposed the committee members to ensure broad participation while addressing various facets of the election process.

He noted, "The proposal of names was given by the state leadership, ensuring equal participation and focusing on every single aspect of the elections."

Discussing his role within the committee, Shah indicated that the Election Management Committee would be crucial for organizational coordination. "This committee is essential as it emphasizes booth-level planning," he explained.

Shah also indicated that party leadership is closely monitoring developments in Gujarat. "We are putting in significant effort, and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is highly focused on Gujarat," he added, mentioning that the committees are expected to convene at least five to six times to assess preparations and the electoral process.

The local body elections in Gujarat encompass contests for municipal corporations, municipalities, and panchayats throughout the state. Political parties are ramping up their organizational efforts as these civic polls draw near.

The results of these elections are often interpreted by parties as a barometer of grassroots support and organizational strength preceding larger electoral contests in the state.