Preparations for local body polls underway: Rajasthan Congress prez Sachin Pilot

The Congress has started preparations for the local body polls scheduled in November and will launch a membership drive in the coming days, the party's Rajasthan unit president Sachin Pilot said on Thursday.

Preparations are underway for elections to the 52 local bodies in the state and bypoll in two assembly seats -- Mandawa and Khivsar, he told reporters after a meeting here.

Pilot said a conference of representatives of the state Congress Committee will be held on October 1, in which district presidents will also participate.

Many programmes will be organised from October 2-9 to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at the state, district and block levels, he said. Seminars and discussions on the life of Mahatma Gandhi will also be held, Pilot added.

The government will commemorate the 75th birth anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi next year, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said.

Referring to the membership campaign, All India Congress Committee general secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Pande said all party workers will go door-to-door and connect with the common man.

The meeting was attended by members of the Council of Ministers, vice-presidents of the state Congress Committee and state presidents of affiliated organisations.