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.
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Followed poll processes transparently, will review all legitimate concerns: EC to Cong
New Delhi (PTI): The Election Commission on Saturday asserted that all poll procedures it followed in Maharashtra were transparent and assured that it would review all legitimate concerns flagged by the Congress, which alleged serious inconsistencies.
In its interim response to the party, the poll authority invited a Congress delegation on December 3 to discuss concerns expressed by it.
The Congress on Friday raised with the Election Commission "serious and grave inconsistencies" which it said were being revealed in the data relating to the polling and counting processes for the recently-concluded Maharashtra Assembly polls and sought an in-person hearing to present relevant evidence.
In the response, the EC reiterated that the process was transparent with the involvement of candidates or their agents at every stage.
The commission also assured of a review of the Congress' legitimate concerns and a written response after hearing the party's delegation in person.
It asserted that a transparent electoral roll updation process was undertaken with the involvement of all political parties.
Responding to the issue regarding the voter turnout data, the EC asserted that there was no discrepancy in it and the data was available with all candidates polling station-wise and is verifiable.
The gap in the 5 pm polling data and the final voter turnout was due to procedural priorities, as presiding officers perform multiple statutory duties near the close of polling before updating the voter turnout data.
As an additional disclosure measure, an EC press note at around 11:45 pm was introduced during the 2024 Lok Sabha election and followed subsequently during all assembly polls thereafter, the poll body told the Congress.
