Cong, BJP activate booth workers

Lalit Mohan 

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, May 18

With the elections scheduled for tomorrow, the BJP today galvanised its ground-level poll machinery into action. Booth workers were equipped with kits for influencing voters. The party has a panna pramukh for every 30 voters.

Panna pramukhs are booth-level workers who are entrusted with the task of influencing 30 voters. The ‘panna’ is a piece of paper that each worker carries with him or her. The paper carries details of 30 voters that they have been entrusted. 

BJP state president Satpal Satti has claimed that the party created 1.40 lakh panna workers in the state that will ensure the party victory. He has also claimed that there are 35,000 panna workers in Kangra. 

The BJP had organised panna rallies in Mandi, Solan, Una and Kangra, covering all four constituencies before the elections. The last rally was organised in Kangra on February 24.

The party is heavily relying on its booth workers to take voters to polling booths. They are controlled by the party high command rather than local leaders. Sources said all arrangements had been made to provide food and refreshments to polling staff so that they stayed there till evening.

The Congress, on the other hand, is relying on local leaders for booth management. Sources said the resource crunch was haunting the party. A leader said the cost of managing each booth came to about Rs 1,000. There were about 1,800 booths in the Kangra constituency. If workers were not even paid for food, refreshments and tents, one could not expect them to work there for the day, he said.

Congress candidate Pawan Kajal made no qualms about lack of resources with the party. He said, “I am contesting elections as a common man and not spending much money on the booth management. I am requesting people to support me and if I win, I shall stand by them for five years.

‘Fund crunch hits Cong’

• The party is relying on its workers to take voters to booths
• The workers are controlled by the party high command rather than local leaders
• The Congress, on the other hand, is relying on local leaders for booth management
• The resource crunch is reportedly haunting the party