Re: Delhi MCD Elections: "A-Political" and "Non-Partisan' Activism - Hurdles to a Democratic Political Movement ? BUT LOK SATTA, a Citizen Party to Contest Delhi - MCD Elections in April, 2012 - Many More on Sidelines Should Enter Politics.

[Surendra Srivastava]

                  Delhi Municipal Elections - 2012   
                                     Time For Decisive Action           
                      
                                         www.loksatta.org  
          
                भारत में व्यवस्था परिवर्तन की आवश्यकता 

Many More on Sidelines Should Enter Politics to Inspire Confidence in Voters. We need "India Against Corrpution (IAC)" !! and Others to Shed Contempt for True Politics!!

 

Lok Satta party , a party known for clean politics has recently established a unit in Delhi and is screening candidates to fight MCD . The prospective list is below:

 

210 - Dallopura 1
211 - Dallopura 2
30 - Mundka
209 - Mayur Vihar Phase 1
214 - Khichripur
230 - Geeta Colony
228 - Preet Vihar
136 – Matiala

117 - jANAKPURI

 

The party will not fight in any other wards and some of these candidates may drop out in the screening process. The party will fight in four – five seats or less in MCD 2012.

After the internal screening of the party, the nomination forms filed by each prospective candidate will be submitted to Lok Satta Party's "INDEPENDENT ELECTION AUTHORITY" for their consideration and confirmation that the aspiring candidates do not have any reason like criminal record to be disqualified from getting the party ticket for elections. Party's Independent Election authority is chaired by Justice B.N Srikrishna, a respected Former Supreme Court Judge and others members being Advocate Anant Shende, a reputed Arbitration Lawyer and Dr. A. L. Sharada, Director of NGO "Population First", who also acts its Secretary General. He clarified that none of the members of the authority are members of the Party to maintain its independence.

The party unit in Delhi  has a laser sharp focus on winning where it fights and being small it wants to concentrate its resources.

 

Good Local governance at the local level with community involvement is essential for India to grow . We often hear the excuse  that India is too big and growth & development is not easy. With our focus and clean politics Our Party will strive to show real  measurable development in each ward that we govern. We do  promise that India and Delhi will talk about the development and governance  in the wards we govern. If Anna could transform Ralegaon Siddhi we will transform the wards that we are elected to govern. 

We are working on a pledge that all our final candidates will sign and LSP is 

prepared to work with all who are willing to sign the pledge and who would like to rid politics of corruption and dynastic influences and make it an instrument for serving the public. The Lok Satta craved neither for power nor for money and did not suffer from the illusion that it alone could change the country's political landscape, 

 

We will complete the screening process by March 4^th and announce our final list on March 5^th.

 

 Best Regards

 

Anurag N. Kejriwal

President - Lok Satta Party - Delhi Pradesh

1st FLOOR, C-69 PREET VIHAR,

DELHI 110092, INDIA.

TEL: +911143086208/45797503

FAX: +911142444318

MOB: +919810038327

http://new-politics-for-a-new-generation.blogspot.in/2012/02/political-and-non-partisan-activism.html

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2012

"A-Political" and "Non-Partisan' Activism - Hurdles to a Democratic Political Movement ?

        If you LOVE Democracy, You CANNOT HATE Politics !

Please read row no. 3 in the above picture carefully.  The said candidate in the just concluded Mumbai Civic Polls, is a post graduate and has declared NIL assets. Is this really plausible or believable? This affidavit summary is provided by well  respected Election Watch - a consortium of  "a-political" NGOs like AGNI, ADR and mumbaivotes.com. These organizations have been doing a great service to citizens and voters by making information about electoral choices transparently available to Citizens.

The million dollar question that we are faced with  is : Is this Enough to clean up our democratic processes  and electoral practices? The said candidate managed to obtain more than 5700 votes in spite of such a publicly available data point about the transparency and integrity of the candidate starkly facing the voters. Further all the (negative) political activism in the run up to the elections did not lead to any increase in the voter turnout. One is led to believe instead, that negative activism infact makes the voter more cynical and less motivated to come out and vote, even where clean credible choices are available!

Transparency of information about the candidates is Necessary but not Sufficient to ensure that the electorate makes the right choices. What India needs today is not Negative "A-Political" Activism, but rather Positive Political Activism that publicly and transparently supports the  right electoral agendas, the right parties and the right candidates. The India Against Corruption movement led by Anna Hazare Ji has been very instrumental in awakening the minds and hearts of  thousands and millions - bu this awakening should lead to positive political support for the right democratic electoral choices and democratic processes; rather than increase cynicism and  apathy of the citizens.

The debate  about Right to Recall is also an example of negative activism. Should we citizens at large, not be more bothered about how to get the right candidates and parties into our elected bodies - in the face of brute money power that is being flung around brazenly. Should not A-Political activists and organizations, openly, publicly and transparently support clean candidates and parties, that have publicly taken a pledge to be accountable to their citizens?  As Lok Satta candidates for the BMC/TMC civic polls  had done ?

Why do we experience this mental block about positive activism, when we have no problems with and are extremely comfortable with negative activism. Only Positive Activism can be an antidote to apathy - please  read the earlier post on antidote to apathy of the citizens.   http://new-politics-for-a-new-generation.blogspot.in/2012/02/citizens-ward-area-sabhas-and-ward.html . Only with positive activism, will we get the best and the brightest to enter the political system and play the right role of elected representatives, as envisaged in the spirit our constitution and the Representation of Peoples Act. 

This is an appeal to all NGOs and activists to shed their intellectual and mental inhibitions to support the right political choices that are now becoming available as more and more brave leaders are stepping up under Dr Jayaprakash Narayan's leadership on the Lok Satta political platform for citizens.

Lok Satta ( www.loksatta.org ) - the platform for Citizens as Agents of Change - is the Political Party of the future.  Lok Satta must be supported by all activists, organizations and individuals that have an interest in and are fighting for true democratic reforms.

21st Century Politics is necessary for governing 21st Century India. Only Positive Activism and a broad based citizens movement can bring this about. India now has NO OTHER CHOICE.

--

Regards,

Surendra Srivastava
Volunteer - Lok Satta Aandolan
Tel: +91 22 2377 2279 Email: sure...@loksatta.org.in
The Answer to "Bad Politics" is "Good Politics"  Not "No Politics"  - Dr. JP, Lok Satta Aandolan
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