Press Releases Archive

Dr. JP invites the brightest to Contest GHMC elections

The Lok Satta Party today appealed to the brightest citizens in Hyderabad to take active interest in civic affairs by contesting the elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

“View the ensuing elections as a golden opportunity to transform our city for good and not as a political exercise”, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said here.

“It is a disgrace to all of us that people should go through the indignity of living amidst overflowing sewers or die of drinking water.”

Dr. JP recalled that many stalwarts of the freedom struggle cut their teeth in politics by taking part in civic affairs and subsequently emerged as national leaders.

The Lok Satta, he said, has finalized a sharply defined agenda for transforming the city in the next five years.

The five promises the party is making are:

  • Supply of safe drinking water in all colonies and bastis which do not have the facility now with the installation of reverse osmosis plants
  • Implementing a citizen’s charter through a call centre, under which failure to attend to a public grievance in a specified period invites a Rs.100 per day penalty on the GHMC
  • Identification and resolution of problems basti-colony wise and implementation of a division agenda in three phases – 100 days, one year and five years respectively.
  • Devolution of GHMC funds at the rate of Rs.2 crore for each division every year, so that an elected divisional committee could spend it on attending to pressing local problems
  • Integration of the functioning of the GHMC, Metrowater and Urban Development Authority

Dr. JP said the Lok Satta is keen on fielding candidates of integrity and leadership qualities and appealed to the younger generation eager to contest the elections to contact the Lok Satta Party headquarters (Tel: 23231818) or its call center (40405050) with their bio data. They are also welcome to email it to the GHMCCandidates@loksatta.org. The aspiring candidates will be screened and interviewed by a committee once the Government finalizes the reservation of wards.

Dr. JP appealed to the State Election Commission to honor its commitment to the High Court by ensuring there is a gap of at least a month between the finalization of wards’ reservation and the election notification. The parties need the time to choose candidates in a transparent and democratic manner. He also requested the Election Commission to include ‘whistle’ among free symbols. The Lok Satta would like to contest on the ‘whistle’ symbol with which the party has been identified.

Friday, June 19, 2009 - 17:00

2014 belongs to the Lok Satta, Asserts Dr. JP

If the Lok Satta Party sticks to its values without any compromise, the year 2014 definitely belongs to it, asserted party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan here today. “And the political calendar too favors the fledgling party”.

Addressing party people who contested the 2009 elections, Dr. JP said the Lok Satta is here to stay and determined to fight for transformation in people’s lives, however arduous struggle is going to be. “People are ready for real change and it will happen in 2014 (when the Assembly elections are due again) going by the winds of change blowing across the State.

Party spokesmen V. Laxman Balaji and Mohd. Ishaq Khan gave this information to the media today.

Although vast numbers of people admired the party in the 2009 elections, they stopped short of endorsing it. “The months and years to come are a testing time for us. People will keenly watch whether the Lok Satta sticks to its values or compromises on them to garner a few seats in elections, like other parties.”

He recalled that a survey conducted by a TV channel immediately after the 2009 elections were out showed that 96 percent of the respondents viewed the Lok Satta Party as an alternative to both the Congress and the TDP, mirroring the high hopes the people had of the Lok Satta.

Dr. JP pointed out that the political calendar too favored the Lok Satta in that elections scheduled for various local bodies would provide a golden opportunity to mobilize public support. After elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, elections to municipal councils will take place in 135 towns accounting for almost 150 Assembly constituencies. Thereafter, elections to panchayati raj bodies would take place. If the party made good use of the local body elections, facing the 2014 elections would be an easy task, said Dr. JP.

Dr. JP reiterated that none need to make great sacrifices to build up the party. It was enough if they devoted a little part of their time, increased party membership and invited and encouraged competent people to take up leadership. He wished politicians in Andhra Pradesh had emulated Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and leader of the Opposition L. K. Advani who apologized to each other for election-eve bitter exchanges and agreed to let bygones be bygones.

Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 20:58

The fault lies with us, concede Lok Satta contestants

Umpteen are the causes for the poor electoral performance of the Lok Satta Party in the 2009 elections, revealed party candidates who contested the elections in an introspection session at the party headquarters here today. Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan and Vice President D. V. V. S. Varma chaired the session on the second day of the review of the party’s performance.

Party spokespersons V. Vijayender Reddy and Mrs. Ravala Jhansi Lakshmi and Vice President Bhisetty Babji briefed the media on the deliberations.

The participants pointed out that they could not tap the enormous good will the party enjoyed in the form of votes largely because of organizational weakness. The party had a large number of members everywhere but they were not given to taking active part in party programs. The Lok Satta did not emerge as a real contender in the eye of the voter as it did not splurge money and whip up frenzy in its favor like the traditional parties. It could not even constitute an adequate number of booth committees.

The participants revealed that a section of rural voters was not aware of the importance of the vote in transforming their lives and they voted for their largest benefactor in terms of money and liquor. That most candidates were new to politics and elections, that the party would not make any credible promises on redressing local problems and that the candidates had little time to campaign also worked against the party.

The participants suggested plugging of organizational weaknesses by encouraging local leadership and increasing membership, initiation of training programs for active members, mobilization of resources, formation of party wings to represent different sections in society and education of voters.

The contestants opined that although people were fed up with the traditional parties they still voted for them as the Lok Satta had not yet emerged as a viable alternative to them. The Lok Satta could measure up to people’s expectations if it emerged stronger organizationally.

Dr. JP said his confidence in the Lok Satta’s ability to usher in new politics had doubled going by the feedback from contestants. Their determination to make a better showing in all elections in future was heart warming.

Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 11:42

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