Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta Setting an Example With Internal Elections

The Lok Satta Party's Independent Election Authority today initiated the party's organizational elections by issuing the notification.

As per the notification, active, life and executive members of the party will elect office-bearers and general council members to party units at the Legislative Assembly constituency, Municipal Corporation, district and State levels. The election process beginning on March 6, 2013 will be over on April 14, 2013.

Nominations for the office State President will be accepted at the office of the Election Authority at Hyderabad between March 18 and 20. Polling for the election will be held in districts on April 5, 6 and 7. Counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on April 10.

Nominations for posts of State office-bearers will be accepted on April 12 and 13. Polling and declaration of results will take place on April 14.

Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan presented CDs of active voters' lists to Mr. K.Satyanarayana and Mr. Padmanabha Reddy, members of the Election Authority, at a media conference here today.

Dr. JP said that the Lok Satta Party would like to set an example to all other parties in democratic functioning. At a time most parties have become the private estates of certain individuals or families, the Lok Satta would like to demonstrate that those with dedication, commitment and integrity can emerge as party leaders without the blessings of any high command. He welcomed Congress Party Vice President Rahul Gandhi's plans to cleanse his party and usher in internal democracy.

Dr. JP said that 50 percent of office-bearers at all levels will comprise SCs, STs, minorities, women and youth. Electronic voting facility will be made available to party members living overseas.

Replying to a question, Dr. JP said that the Lok Satta would not be deterred by the fear that internal elections might bring out differences among party cadres. The party is bent upon ushering in new political culture and there can be no going back on it, he said and recalled that the party has always practiced what it preached. It had contested elections without offering inducements like money, liquor and freebies and stuck to its decision not to enforce bandhs and road blockades. He had consciously decided against contesting for the State President post to create space for new leadership.

Mr. K.Satyanarayana, former Law Secretary and State Election Commission Secretary and Mr. M. Padmanabha Reddy, former IFS officer, said the party elections would be fair and impartial. Parties have become dynastic in the absence of elections.

According to the election notification, election of office-bearers and members of district council at the constituency level will take place during March 28-31. Election of office-bearers and members to the State General Council at the municipal corporation level will take place during April 2-7. Election of State-level office-bearers by members of the State General Council will take place on April 14.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013 - 20:54

People For Lok Satta elects its new Executive board

People for Lok Satta (PFL), the political nonprofit organization of overseas supporters of the Lok Satta Party, elected its second Executive Board at the international level and is in the process of conducting several chapter-level boards.

Election Commissioners Ms. Sarvani Piratla (NJ-USA), Mr. Chaitanya Kalapala (Houston-USA) and Mr. Kiran Telukunta(Germany), conducted the internal elections. The elections were conducted under the preferential system of voting in line with Lok Satta Party’s philosophy, instead of the traditional first-past-the-post majority system.

Ms. Rajani Karuturi from New Jersey, who was organizer of several ground level activities and election campaigns in last year, is elected as President.

Mr. Raghuveer Mukkamalla, who has been handling finances for Washington Chapter and who has also been part of central finance team, is elected as Vice President (Finance).

Mr. Krishna Burugapalli, who has been handling memberships for Washington chapter and who was instrumental in setting up membership infrastructure along with current Vice President Kiran Indukuri, is elected as Vice President (Membership).

Mr. Prakash Kapila from New Jersey, who is coordinating constituency promotion projects for Vizag and Rayadurgam, is elected as Vice President (Projects). He vouched to give laser focus to win four constituencies adopted by PFL.

Mr. Pradeep Chukkapalli, who coordinated constituency promotion project for Sanathnagar and activities of Boston chapter, was elected Vice President (Events).

Mr. Dinesh Pagadala from Nashville, who is handling PFL media activities, retained his position as Vice President (Media).

Mr. Prasanna Meda, outgoing President, said he is hopeful that the new executive comprising young and energetic leaders would take PFL to new heights. Mr. Jawahar Kambhampati, out going Vice President of Projects, said he is happy to see new leaders coming forward and taking lead in challenging times before 2014 elections.

PFL has organized events and campaigns like “Rejuvenate India”, “Kill Corruption”, “NRI absentee voting rights” and “Dandi March II” in the U. S. and several other countries over the last four years. PFL has been concentrating on ground campaigns in India in last two years and supported Lok satta party with activities and phone banks in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka elections. PFL had also provided capable leaders like Dilip Sankarreddy, Hyma Sagi and Padma Bhupatiraju, who were members of PFL but moved to India to directly work with Lok Satta.

Ms. Rajani Karuturi, the President, announced that she would give her full energies in ensuring that the trend of team spirit, teamwork, leadership building, open communication and coordination to be taken forward and strengthened further.

Mr. Kiran Telukunta, one of the election officials, said that PFL voters and candidates felt fairness because of the preferential voting system. The system had been followed in several other organisations like wikimedia and Debian all over the world. Kiran said that it would result in leaders to work harder to appeal to more people than the first-past-the-post majority system used by Indian Election commission could.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - 14:42

Harvard Honor to Young Lok Satta Leader

Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government have invited Mr. Dilip Sankarreddy, Lok Satta Party leader from Malkajgiri in Hyderabad to speak at the prestigious Harvard India Conference at Boston in the U. S. on March 9 and 10.

Mr. Dilip will speak on “Politics as a vocation: Pathways for young people to ennoble Indian politics”at the Harvard India Conference. Previous participants in the conference include Mr. Amartya Sen, Mr. P. Chidambaram and Mr. Navin Jindal.

It may be recalled that 32-year-old Dilip quit his professional job in the U.S. in 2012 and returned to India to work for people full-time on the Lok Satta Party platform

Mr. Dilip is a member of the National Council of the Lok Satta Party and Vice President of its overseas affiliate, People For Lok Satta (PFL).

Mr. Dilip, a Computer Science engineer, obtained his MBA from the reputed University of Chicago Booth School of Business and worked in corporate strategy, corporate finance, global sales and marketing, and product development in companies across the world.

He won the World Bank India Development Marketplace Award 2007 for providing innovative lighting solutions to tribals and nomads across India. As a social worker, he has taken up various issues concerning urban development and talked about environment and sustainable development at international conferences since 2004.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - 14:38

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