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'I vote I count' - Bengaluru Lok Sabha elections
jennypinto - 20 February, 2009 | Bangalore | Praja | Elections | Action | Lok Sabha | 2009
[Quick link to the election issue survey, do fill it and have your say.]
The attack on Mumbai on 26/11 was meant to undermine India. Instead it has lead to a new political awakening. As the initial shock and anger against our politicians died down we realized that our disengagement from the political process was part of the problem. And the solution lay in getting engaged; else we only have ourselves to blame. Politics is too important to be left solely to politicians!
While we have valid reasons to feel let down by our political leadership and every right to demand more from them, we need to closely examine our own role. How many of us bother to register ourselves as voters. Do we all vote? And if we do, is it issue, candidate and party based on what they stand for or is it just an indifferent choice?
If the answer is ‘No’ to one of the questions, then how can we be outraged when politicians fail us?
Urban voters don’t count because we do not vote; thus the issues that are important to us do not get their due.
- Every voter should believe “I Vote, I Count”.
- Let us resolve to make a change starting with the Lok Sabha elections this April.
- Let us demand more from our politicians; let us also demand more from ourselves.
- By voting, but first, by making an intelligent, considered vote !
So let’s start by articulating our top concerns (click here and fill a survey). Click on your top issues it to record your concern. You can add to the list in the space provided at the end. This survey, which has a pre-populated list, will be redone a couple of times so that we do the best we can to get a coolective list of top issues that will help us decide our votes.
Once this list is tabulated, we will take it to our Lok Sabha candidates and get their views on them. We will also provide us all a platform to post queries and opinions on the issues that concern us, and allow candidates to respond. We will also link to our partner sites, jaagore.com and Smartvote, these contain complete information about Benguluru constituencies and candidates, and assist you on ‘how to register as a voter’ .
“I Vote, I Count”. Let us collectively make the urban vote count.
PS: Comment guidelines apply as usual. All talk will be issue focussed, fact based and as responsible as possible. At no point will we try to project a community or consensus view on any candidate.
COMMENTS
I'm currently reading the
roshanrk - 21 February, 2009 - 05:52
I'm currently reading the 'Miracle Of Democracy by T. S. Krishnamurthy. Our system of first past the post and multiple candidates is ensuring that elected representatives get voted in by a very minor margin of victory and in most cases with less votes for him/her than against the candidate. Is it any wonder that the elected representatives don't seem to be the right people?
To ensure that the majority voice gets heard, majority of us need to come out to vote! This way the chances of votes being split based on caste/creed ,at least in urban areas, is reduced. This might help get the better candidate to parliament.
Please do fill out the survey
admin123 - 24 February, 2009 - 12:02
Survey is important for us to get started. And it is open to everyone, not just limited to registered members of Praja.in website. If you feel your issues are missing, give your must-ask-them list at the end of the curvey.
The point is - we need a managable list of things to go quiz the candidates, there is no point going to them with a list of 200 issues, or just with the issues hand-picked by select few who are doing the background work for "I vote I count" project.
If you want to help with "I Vote I Count" project, please drop a private message to admin, or simply write via the contact form.
I vote I count
Promod Kapur - 26 February, 2009 - 13:15
A demand list is something that no candidate will object or oppose in public. The problem is that the situation after election hardly allows any candidate to fulfill his commitment. And the reason simply is that the fragmentation of votes in several parts does not permit any one party to come to power with a strong enough mandate. The result - Deve Gowdas, Gujrals, Mulayam Singhs and Prakash Karats will have the last word. If I want my vote to count at the national level, I must exclude all the smaller regional groups to play any role at the national level by voting either the Congress or the BJP. There is nothing to go by issues when the man I like and think is cleaner and more educated and will articulate my views more closely, does not even get elected. For regional aspirations, I have the opportunity of putting a regional party that reflects my priorities and values, in power in the state legislatures. Yes, we should all make our votes count. Make it happen and MAKE IT HAPPEN SIMPLY. Start by not letting ourselves get into a situation where our vote becomes irrelevant. Think of the time we lose in the Lok Sabhas because every second man wants to be heard by the press and the galleries and not by the people he should be addressing himself to. There is no order, no discipline because each individual brings a value added position in the party and the party has no control.
Kapur Saab,
"Each individual brings a value added position in the party and the party has no control" - your last phrase sums it all so well !
This is indeed the problem - the individual "hikes" up his price the moment he knows his position is strong in the party & begins making unreasonable demands. How can any party function well ?
Apart from this, we have split verdicts that cause havoc & seriously undermine our governance mechanisms. Horse-trading takes center-stage, people be damned !
Sometimes, I wonder if we really did deserve democracy, right from the nation's birth. Perhaps, if one single, responsible & powerful entity had taken charge & stewarded the country well, as in china, we might have seen a lot of changes for the better, in exchange for some loss of freedom & a few harsh steps. At least, this would have propelled us faster & made us competitive amongst the world's nations.
In the garb of democracy, our structures have become so weak that most of us now believe that our votes do not matter at all & that voting is for the poor & the needy who desperately need those "presents" to survive.
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