Press Releases Archive
Congress silent on combating corruption: Lok Satta
The Lok Satta Party today faulted the Congress for not coming up with a coherent and integrated policy to combat poverty and unemployment. Reacting to the Congress Party’s 2009 election manifesto, the party said it was significantly silent on mitigating corruption, leave alone eradicating it.
Lok Satta Party spokesmen P. Ravi Maruth and Dr. P. Bhaskara Rao said that the manifesto did not promise free and quality education and health care to all, irrespective of their caste or religion. It was true that nearly 225,000 people had been enabled to undergo surgeries under Rajiv Arogyasri. Advertising this, the Congress sought to conceal the fact that millions of people do not benefit under Arogyasri.
The Lok Satta leaders also pointed out that the Congress Party has not spelt out any strategy to tackle the growing unemployment in the wake of the economic downturn in the country. That more than 11 lakh young men and women applied for 844 Group IV posts in the State mirrored the magnitude of the problem.
Mr. Ravi Maruth and Dr. Bhaskara Rao said the manifesto was silent on tackling corruption, which has become widespread. It had not talked of making agriculture remunerative and warding off suicides by farmers. It publicized loans at three percent to women as revolutionary even as the Government ruined their lives by promoting liquor consumption.
Donations from public even for deposit money
Lok Satta Party candidates contesting elections will be collecting donations from the public to pay even the deposit the amount as they file their nominations beginning March 23.
Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan has told the candidates that the Lok Satta Party, unlike traditional parties, is a people-centric party. The Lok Satta movement was instrumental in bringing about electoral reforms, which sought to curb the flow of black money by granting tax exemption for donations to political parties. The Lok Satta Party has set an example to others by placing its accounts of income and expenditure on the Internet and by accepting donations only by cheque.
Traditional parties are issuing the party ticket only to those who contribute crores of rupees to the party and are prepared to spend crores of rupees in elections. Pointing out that most of the money squandered in elections is unaccounted black money, Dr. JP says the candidates hope to make many times more than their investment once they get elected. The menace of black money cannot be ended so long as parties are not transparent in collecting and spending money.
Dr. JP has advised party candidates to publicize their collections from the public towards the payment of the deposit money. He wants them to stick to the expenditure limits imposed by law and carry on their election campaign with dignity.
Middle classes now in the forefront: Lok Satta releases third list
Most of the candidates contesting the 2009 elections on the Lok Satta Party ticket belong to middle classes who have so far kept off from politics because of their revulsion against the rotten political system.
Disclosing this here today, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said that all these candidates have plunged into politics now because the Lok Satta Party has provided them a platform for launching the second freedom movement. Their determination to change the nature of politics has received a boost with the traditional parties revealing their true colors in the current election campaigning.
Mr. Lakshman Balaji, party General Secretary, released the third list of candidates comprising 61 for the Assembly and six for the Lok Sabha. Thirty-eight of the candidates named belong to BCs, Dalits and minorities. Dr. JP's name figures in the list as the candidate for the Kukatpally Assembly seat. Mr. Madapu Srinivasa Rao, a physically challenged man, is contesting the Peddapalli Assembly seat in Karimnagar district.
The party had released the names of 55 candidates to contest the Assembly elections earlier.
Addressing a media conference, Dr. JP said in reply to a question that the party was on course in giving tickets to backward classes. It had pledged to give tickets to BCs in proportion to their population. The party, however, could not field a large number of women or candidates belonging to minorities because of poor response from them. He once again appealed to women and minorities with leadership qualities, integrity and an urge to transform the nature of politics to come forward and avail of the Lok Satta platform. "After all, we can't compel anyone to contest, said Dr. JP.
He also appealed to the many honest and competent citizens with leadership qualities who are still staying away from politics to come forward and accept the burden of leadeship. "The Lok Satta is the right platform for all right-thinking citizens. Come and transform politics and people's lives."
Dr. JP said that that the party had chosen candidates on their merit and not pedigree or money power. "The Lok Satta Party ranks No. 1 in Andhra Pradesh and perhaps in the country in giving representation to the youth and the educated. Most of the candidates are graduates and are either professionals or self-employed."
Dr. JP, who returned to Hyderabad this morning after undertaking election campaign by train from Secunderabad to Nellore, saidt the youth now believed that the Lok Satta can perform a miracle because the people are thirsting for change. The urge is universal in that a 21-year-old man disturbed him last night to plead for a ticket to contest to the Assembly. He had to be told the minimum age for contesting the election is 25 years. A retired neuro surgeon from the U. S., now recuperating from serious illness,, is eager to plunge into elections on behalf of the Lok Satta, provided doctors permit him. "Not to be a part of the Lok Satta Party's historic movement is a sin", he had said.
The Lok Satta Party, he revealed, would be entering into an electoral understanding with a couple of small parties in a day or two. Together, they would field candidates in all the Assembly and the Lok Satta seats.
Told the BJP has objected to a Lok Satta Party candidate using a picture of Mahatma Gandhi in his election campaign, Dr. JP said people the world over honored their national leaders and national flags. "If the Election Commission gives any ruling on the point, we will abide by it. I don't know whether anyone will object even to the singing of the national anthem."
Following are the Lok Satta Party candidates contesting the 2009 Elections to the Assembly and Lok Sabha 21st March 2009
Name | Constituency | Dist |
Jaya Rathod | Boath | Adilabad |
Bhushan Reddy | Mudhole | Adilabad |
D Janardhan | Sirpur (T) | Adilabad |
Sundera Parwatheesam | Guntur-2 | Guntur |
T Satyannarayan Chowdery | Repalle | Guntur |
Manik Prabhu | Karwan | Hyderabad |
Dr Pandu Ranga Rao | Malakpet | Hyderabad |
Inapurapu Srikanth Sharma | Sanatnagar | Hyderabad |
Manddela Ravindra | Dharmapuri | Karimnagar |
Dr M Venkat Reddy | Korutla | Karimnagar |
O Sampath | Manthani | Karimnagar |
Madasu Srinivasa Rao | Peddapalli | Karimnagar |
Puli Pitchaiah | Badrachalam | Khammam |
Bhupati Lavanya | Kothagudem | Khammam |
M Nani | Madhira | Khammam |
Dr M Vijaya Kumar | Gannavaram | Krishna |
M Padma | Panyam | Kurnool |
P Srinivasa Chary | Srisailam | Kurnool |
B Swamulu | Alampur | Mahaboobnagar |
Vadla Srinu | Jadcherla | Mahaboobnagar |
Bandela Ramachandra Reddy | Kalwakurthy | Mahaboobnagar |
S Jayaprakash Naik | Kodangal | Mahaboobnagar |
K Ramakrishna | Nagarkarnool | Mahaboobnagar |
Vitta Praveen Kumar Reddy | Wanaparthy | Mahaboobnagar |
Prabhakar Reddy | Dubbaka | Medak |
Rammohan Rao | Gajwel | Medak |
Karnam Saujanya | Medak | Medak |
Mahesh Sharma | Narsapur | Medak |
Dasugari Satyannarayana Goud | Patancheru | Medak |
Patlolla Madhava Reddy | Sangareddy | Medak |
T Srinivas | Siddipet | Medak |
Subburu Ramesh | Alair | Nalgonda |
Kadiyam Srinivas Reddy | Huzurnagar | Nalgonda |
Polavaram Kalyani | Kodada | Nalgonda |
Vantepaka Yadagiri | Nakrekal | Nalgonda |
M S Mani | Venkatagiri | Nellore |
Cyber Jameel | Bhodan | Nizamabad |
A K Latha | Jukkal | Nizamabad |
Biloji Naik | Nizamabad Rural | Nizamabad |
D Sekhar | Nizamabad Urban | Nizamabad |
A Ramesh Reddy | Ongole | Prakasham |
Pentyala Peddanna | Parchuru | Prakasham |
Mutyala Rajashekhar | Ibrahimpatnam | Ranga Reddy |
Jangaiah Yadav | Maheswaram | Ranga Reddy |
Dr Jayaprakash Narayan | Kukatpally | Ranga Reddy |
T Shivakumar | Medchel | Ranga Reddy |
K Venkatesham | Tandur | Ranga Reddy |
CH Venkatagouri | Palakonda (ST) | Srikakulam |
M Sudhabala | Palasa | Srikakulam |
Telugu Nageswara Rao | Narsannapeta | Srikakulam |
Dr D Mohan Rao | Srikakulam | Srikakulam |
K Gourishankar | Cheepurupalli | Vijayanagarm |
S A Ramohan | Bheemili | Visakhapatnam |
Srini Mahesh | Visakhapatnam - North | Visakhapatnam |
Maheswarapu Gattaiah | Bhoopalpally | Warangal |
P Raji Reddy | Janagam | Warangal |
Gurram Timoty | St Ganapur (SC) | Warangal |
J Ravi Kumar | Vardhannapet (SC) | Warangal |
Thirunahari Seshaiah | Warangal East | Warangal |
Elicherla Prabhudas | Gopalapuram | West Godavari |
Dr Valluri Subbalakshmi | Tanuku | West Godavari |
MP Candidates
Koppula Venateswara Rao | Machilipatnam | |
J Venkateswar | Kurnool | |
V Pentaiah | Araku | |
K Sudheer Reddy | Medak | |
CVL Narasimha Rao | Secunderabad | |
Devineni Kishore | Vijayawada |