Why should people vote for you? Citizen Action Forum asks nominees

Candidates contesting the Assembly elections in the city will have to face a question that could define their chances of winning or losing votes.

"Why should they vote for you?", is what the Citizen Action Forum (CAF) wants the public to ask the candidates when they arrive at their doorsteps seeking votes.

Mukund N from CAF said that they are fed up with organising discussions with the candidates and listen to what they plan to contribute. This time the candidates will have to explain "why should we vote for them?"

"Citizens do not know that MLAs and BBMP corporators have different roles to play. All these leaders cannot be questioned for the same set of problems. An MLA is meant to look after non-BBMP issues as there is already an elected corporator for BBMP.

"MLA in the city is required to oversee his corporator and look after law and order, water, electricity, hospitals, transport, infrastructure, education, industry that are part of the state economy. However, MLAs and corporators are judged in the same manner. Even the election manifestos of some of the political parties are not well defined," Mukund added.

Mahalakshmi Parthasarathy, secretary of CAF said that they are planning to prepare a citizens' charter demanding action on certain issues which have not been addressed till date. "Most of the candidates in their speeches promise us the sky, but once they are elected, they hardly touch the roof. CAF will be drafting 5 issues which the candidate will have to answer about," she added.

She said the five issues are reinstating Lokayukta, a vision for the Revised Master Plan (RMP), integrating transportation, specify a water source for future in the city and Akrama-Sakrama.

Vice-president of CAF, R C Dutt said that it is high time that MLAs are held accountable for their actions including attending the assembly sessions. "We get to see empty chairs in the session, which is very concerning for those who have voted for these candidates to the house. They cannot give the Citizens any excuse from now on for remaining absent in the session, even if the MLA is unwell, he will have to go to the session and ensure he represents the people who voted for him," he added.

CAF plans to e-mail citizens to inform them about their aims including the poser-"Why should they vote for you?