People seeking change: Dr. JP

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said today the results of Assembly elections in five States proved the people rejected political parties' attempts at dividing them on the basis of religion and caste.

In a media statement, Dr. JP said that people expressed their desire for change by voting for the best among the alternatives open to them. They would have certainly voted for a clean new alternative had there been one. The elections also demonstrated that parties could not depend on 'anti-incumbency' to waft them onto victory.

Dr. JP pointed out that attempts to whip up people's sentiments on terrorist strikes in Delhi and Mumbai and exploit the controversy between Gujjars and Meenas on the issue of reservations had backfired.

"The national parties are paying a heavy price by not seeking replacement of the present first-past-the-post electoral system by a proportional representation system. The BSP cut into the Congress votes and adversely its performance in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi."