Kharge reaffirms commitment to grassroots governance on Panchayati Raj Day

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday extended greetings to citizens on the National Panchayati Raj Day, stressing the centrality of local self-governance in India’s democratic framework and highlighting the Congress party’s role in strengthening grassroots institutions.

In a post on X, Kharge cited Mahatma Gandhi’s vision, stating, “Panchayati Raj represents true democracy,” while conveying “heartfelt greetings to all citizens on National Panchayati Raj Day.”

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He described Panchayati Raj institutions as “the strong foundation of our democracy” and reiterated that “the real strength of India lies in its villages,” emphasising that empowering rural India remains key to national progress.

‎Tracing the philosophical underpinnings of decentralised governance, Kharge said the concept of Panchayati Raj is rooted in the idea of “Gram Swaraj” advocated by Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave.

He pointed out that under the leadership of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress government enacted the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, granting constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions and deepening democracy at the grassroots level.

‎Highlighting women’s participation in local governance, Kharge termed it a significant milestone.

“Today, 33% reservation for women in the country’s Panchayats exists because of Congress. In some places, it goes up to 50%. As a result, 1.5 million women are part of Panchayats and are contributing politically at the grassroots level,” he said, adding that such large-scale participation of women in grassroots politics is unmatched globally and represents “a major achievement for India.”

‎Kharge also noted that National Panchayati Raj Day was formally declared in 2010 during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Reiterating the party’s commitment, he said the Congress “is fully committed to strengthening the spirit of Gram Swaraj.”

‎Observed annually on April 24, National Panchayati Raj Day commemorates the enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which came into force in 1993 and institutionalised a three-tier system of rural local governance, aimed at decentralising power and promoting participatory democracy across India’s villages.