Showing posts with label elections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elections. Show all posts
Gateway to fair elections: Will India do full count of verifiable paper record in elections?
NOTA is not a 'paper tiger' but un-utilized policy to strengthen democracy
Justice Rajindar Sachar releases first list of Socialist Party candidates for UP elections
Bihar elections: Social inequities and corruption are major obstacles in Obra
Bihar elections: Will Kutumba vote for equitable access to water?
'Not building super-highways, but reactivating non-functional rail-links is priority'
Reactivating rail-link which is lying non-functional since several years is a bigger priority for local people than building major super highways in Bihpur, said Gautam Kumar Pritam, Socialist Party (India)'s candidate from Bihpur Vidhan Sabha (Bihar). He questions the kind of development model governments are pursuing where priorities of majority of the rural poor hardly ever get due attention, but priorities of the rich and mighty, override!
Why prefer AAP over BJP and Congress?
Dr Sandeep Pandey and Dr Rahul Pandey, CNS Columnists
For the first time since Narendra Modi government has come to power in the centre and won state after state in assembly elections it faces a tough challenge from AAP in Delhi. AAP is not like any other political party. It has emerged from a movement and represents a changing mood in this country, giving a chance to especially the youth to get involved in political process. It is a different matter that equal or more number of youth are involved with BJP now. BJP has more effectively used methods, which AAP brought into Indian politics, to its advantage.
For the first time since Narendra Modi government has come to power in the centre and won state after state in assembly elections it faces a tough challenge from AAP in Delhi. AAP is not like any other political party. It has emerged from a movement and represents a changing mood in this country, giving a chance to especially the youth to get involved in political process. It is a different matter that equal or more number of youth are involved with BJP now. BJP has more effectively used methods, which AAP brought into Indian politics, to its advantage.
"Modi’s claim of clean Sabarmati river is hollow": Dr Sandeep Pandey
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| Photo credit: CNS |
Seeking honest politics distinguishes AAP from BJP and Congress
Dr Rahul Pandey, CNS Columnist
In a recent article I wrote that most of the people campaigning for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) come from different social strata but are united by a common desire to seek honest politics. On reading the article a friend asked me if I believed that everyone in AAP was honest and everyone in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or Congress was corrupt. My response to him was, of course there were some honest individuals in BJP and Congress and maybe some dishonest ones in AAP, but the difference between the two sets of parties is not only relative but also fundamental. This is an attempt to understand that difference.
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| Photo credit: CNS |
Likely impacts of BJP and AAP on the Indian society
For about two months I was in Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh campaigning for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Alok Agarwal. Irrespective of what the result in Khandwa will be it appears that almost everywhere Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will make substantial gains, Congress will suffer a lot, and AAP may not get the seats they expected. And irrespective of all these outcomes certain effects of BJP’s imminent success and AAP’s emergence are evident too. Some of these I could sense on the ground in these two months. While one set of effects are worrying, the other set gives us hope. Nevertheless, they give an idea of the things that might come.
Socialist Party strongly opposes government’s decision to double gas prices
Dividing the country on communal lines
Dr Sandeep Pandey, Magsaysay Awardee and CNS Columnist
Rambabu is a dalit activist working for the empowerment of marginalized section of the population in rural Hardoi. He feels for the first time in any elections that people are being divided on communal lines. His religious identity is in conflict with this caste identity and is beginning to create pressure on him to vote in the forthcoming elections on communal lines. Needless to say the result could be disastrous for the country.
Rambabu is a dalit activist working for the empowerment of marginalized section of the population in rural Hardoi. He feels for the first time in any elections that people are being divided on communal lines. His religious identity is in conflict with this caste identity and is beginning to create pressure on him to vote in the forthcoming elections on communal lines. Needless to say the result could be disastrous for the country.
Electoral system biased against smaller parties
Dr Sandeep Pandey, Magsaysay Awardee and CNS Columnist
Anil Mishra is a candidate of Socalist Party (India) from Unnao in U.P. On 12 April, 2014 he sought permission of Election Officer of District Unnao to take out a bicycle rally with about a hundred people on 23 April from his village Khan Peer Ali Nevada to Auras town area. The polling in his constituency will take place on 30th April. The report filed by Assistant Returning Officer said that he had no objection to the rally as well as to the use of megaphone which was also requested.
Anil Mishra is a candidate of Socalist Party (India) from Unnao in U.P. On 12 April, 2014 he sought permission of Election Officer of District Unnao to take out a bicycle rally with about a hundred people on 23 April from his village Khan Peer Ali Nevada to Auras town area. The polling in his constituency will take place on 30th April. The report filed by Assistant Returning Officer said that he had no objection to the rally as well as to the use of megaphone which was also requested.
Implications of foreign funds received by Congress and BJP
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In the context of movement against the Kudankulum nuclear power plant the PM had himself directly accused the movement of receiving foreign funds implying thereby that there were some foreign powers who were not interested in seeing development in India and therefore sponsored anti-development movements. Realty was that the office of the movement was being run from a Church. But most fisherfolk who formed the base of movement were Christians and it was quite natural for them that a movement to protect their interest should be run from their Church. Funds for the movement were collected from people.
Meaning of slapping of Arvind Kejriwal
Dr Sandeep Pandey, Magsaysay Awardee and CNS Columnist
Several incidents of ink throwing at or trying to punch or slap Arvind Kejriwal have occurred now. It appears that some people, mostly from his own movement and party, are angry at him and are giving vent to their frustration in this manner. However, is Arvind Kejriwal the only leader with whom people are angry? Actually, people are probably more angry with big leaders of established parties. But have we ever heard of anybody slapping Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, L.K. Advani, Narendra Modi, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Yadav, Mayawati? Occasionally some Sharad Pawar or Buta Singh is targeted. Such incidents, though, are exceptions. And they were not repeated.
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| Photo credit: CNS |
Raising ceiling on election spending is anti-people
Socialist Party (India) leaders said to Citizen News Service (CNS) that recent decision of Election Commission of India to raise the ceiling on election spending in Lok Sabha polls to Rs 70 lakhs is anti-people as it will only make it easier for the rich candidates and political parties to spend money in elections. Similarly raising the deposit amount from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 will make it furthermore difficult for poor people to contest polls.
Why at present the AAP offers the best hope for governance and policy
Dr Rahul Pandey, CNS ColumnistIn a short period of time the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has shaken up India’s political landscape by offering an honest alternative to the mainstream national parties, specifically the Congress and the BJP. This article is an attempt to understand AAP’s credibility on certain crucial dimensions, namely, the integrity of senior leadership; their policy agenda for the underprivileged sections of society; and for the economy and business sector. While doing so, a brief comparison of AAP with BJP and Congress is also attempted. High personal integrity of senior leaders is a fundamental pre-requisite for good governance. It is a starting condition for a party to collectively try to envision an India without vested self interests.
The AAP phenomenon and what it means for us
In the past several days I have been a part of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s campaigning in Matiala constituency of Delhi. In this small period I have been witness to some inspiring processes and moments – motivation and hard work of persons volunteering for AAP; responses of people from various strata to AAP’s canvassing; decentralized and chaotic yet, in some ways, organized management of AAP’s campaign activities at the levels of constituencies and wards; and AAP’s unique model of local and democratic governance with a hint of Gandhi’s vision of ‘Swaraj’ or ‘Self-rule’.
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