I-PAC launches forum to set agenda for 2019 polls
Chennai, July 15 : The Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) launched the National Agenda Forum (NAF) which expects to mobilise about one crore citizens to formulate an actionable agenda for citizens to choose their leaders online in the 2019 elections, an official said on Sunday.
The I-PAC official told IANS that the NAF was a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary year. It is a unique citizen-centric initiative to formulate an actionable agenda for next year's general elections.
The NAF is formed to resurrect the conversation around Gandhi's 18-point Constructive Programme for independent India and use it to reimagine and co-create India's priorities to formulate an actionable agenda for the present.
"There are more than 25,000 registered members. We expect to mobilise about one crore citizens. They would formulate an actionable agenda and also choose their leader by voting on the NAF website," the official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the lead by securing about 31 per cent of the votes cast online. He was followed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and DMK Working President M.K.Stalin.
Other leaders listed in the NAF website are CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati.
"There is a provision for a person to choose any other leader besides those listed in the website," the official added. Once the voting results are out on August 15, youth volunteers would meet the chosen leader in September or October.
The agenda would then be taken to the entire nation, before it is adopted as part of the party manifesto in January 2019.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kharge expresses regret over 'illiterate' remark, says he has highest of respect for Gujaratis
_vb_85.jpeg)
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday expressed regret over his controversial statement calling the people of Gujarat "illiterate", and said he has always had and will continue to have the highest of respect for the people of the state.
In a post on X, the Congress president said, "Some remarks of mine in a recent election speech in Kerala are being deliberately misinterpreted. Even so, I express my sincere regret.
"It was never my intention to hurt the sentiments of the people of Gujarat for whom I have always had and will continue to have the highest of respect."
Kharge on Sunday had sparked a row during his Assembly poll campaign in Kerala, calling the people of Gujarat "illiterate" and claiming they were being "fooled" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At the same time, Kharge said neither Modi nor Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan could fool the people of Kerala, describing them as "very clever and educated".
"Don’t misguide the people of Kerala. They are very clever and educated. Modiji, Vijayan, you both can fool people who are illiterate in Gujarat or other places, but you cannot fool the people of Kerala," the Congress chief had said.
He made the remark while alleging that both Modi and Vijayan were following the same path, with no difference between them except the parties they lead.
The BJP on Tuesday had demanded an apology from Kharge for his remarks, saying that the comment was "shameless, demeaning and utterly despicable."
Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to clarify whether they agreed with Kharge's statement.
_vb_92.jpeg)
_vb_51.jpeg)
_vb_41.jpeg)