ELECTIONS 2009: Lok Rajniti Manch to field 3 candidates in UP

E L E C T I O N S 2009
Lok Rajniti Manch to field 3 candidates in UP

The Lok Rajniti Manch has decided to field S.R. Darapuri from the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency in the approaching general elections as part of its efforts to establish a pro-people politics. Darapuri, an IPS officer, retired as Inspector General of Police from the UP cadre and is a prominent social and human rights activist. He is part of the people's movements aimed at empowerment of common people. During service he was regarded as an honest and diligent officer.

Lok Rajniti Manch desires to build a new political culture which will be an alternative to the dominant money and muscle powered politics, which will bring the common people's issues to the core of politics, where the candidates will have a history of serving the people, where the politicians will not require armed security, where the candidates will strictly follow the code of conduct set up by Election Commission, where the election expenses will be made public and where the candidate will conduct himself/herself in a transparent manner and will be accountable to the people. The candidate irrespective of the result of the election will continue to serve the people.

This is a small beginning to challenge the stranglehold of crime and corruption over politics. We know that this is a long battle but we are into it for a long haul. The people, sooner or latter, will reject the corrupt and criminal candidates and elect honest and committed ones.

Until the dominant criminal and corrupt political culture is not challenged the true democracy can never be realized because the benefits of various social welfare and developmental schemes will never reach the people. To eliminate the conditions of poverty, unemployment, destitution, exploitation, crime from this society a new political culture will have to be nurtured which will build a pro-people alternative to the present anti-people system. This is India 's second freedom struggle. The majority population of the country which is yet to taste the benefits of freedom will wage this battle.

With Darapuri's joining the election fray now the LRM has three candidates from Uttar Pradesh in the forthcoming elections for the Lok Sabha. Ram Sagar Verma is contesting from the Mishrikh reserved seat and Ram Naumi Yadav is the candidate from Salempur in eastern part of the state. Overall, about a dozen LRM candidates will be contesting natioanally.

Dr Sandeep Pandey

(The author is a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee (2002) for emergent leadership, member of National Presidium, People's Politics Front (PPF), heads the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) and did his PhD from University of California, Berkeley in control theory which is applicable in missile technology. He taught at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur before devoting his life to strengthening people's movements in early 1990s. He can be contacted at: ashaashram@yahoo.com. Website: www.citizen-news.org)

Contact mobile numbers of three Lok Rajniti Manch candidates from U.P.
(1) Ram Sagar Verma, Mishrikh, 9450503639
(2) Ram Naumi Yadav, Salempur, 9918631076
(3) S.R. Darapuri, Lucknow , 9415164845, srdarapuri@yahoo. co.in