Pune election 2017 .... 302 independents but agenda hazy

302 independents but agenda hazy

Pune:





An independent candidate on a door-to-door campaign had nothing to say when he was asked why he was contesting. He handed out a pamphlet which had promises of a “playground“, roads and many other amenities in the area. There are scores like him and citizens' groups reaching out to voters have asked them to question these candidates and decide on their merit before casting their votes.There are 302 independent candidates in the fray among the 1,090 contesting for the 162 seats in Pune Municipal Corporation. Many are disgruntled members of political parties and several are first-timers. Founder of Political Research and Analysis Bureau Chandrakant Bhujbal said most are defectors and others will take away the votes of the lead candidate. Yet more are dummy candidates and have nothing to lose except the Rs5,000 deposit. “In the 2012 election, independent candidates numbered 457 and they garnered 2,35,798 votes with a 9.35% share of the voting percentage,'' he said. Citizens' groups have organized meetings with candidates and they want voters to question the agenda of these candidates. Citizen activist Qaneez Sukhrani said her area has many independent candidates and voters must know their work and plans.“They have to vote for an able candidate and not complain later on,'' she said.
Another independent candidate, who promises 24hour water supply , is not even aware of the water situation in Pune. “One should be cautious while voting. There are good independent candidates, mainly defectors from big parties. Voters must be aware of all the candidates and take the right decision,“ a member from the citizens' group said.
In one case, the husband is fighting on a party ticket and the wife is contesting as an independent. “How does the voter decide about such candidates?''she said.
A thorough interview of such candidates should be carried out by the mohalla committees before deciding on their candidates, she added.
Many organizations carrying out voter awareness are reaching out to mohalla committees and ensuring that voters are aware of the candidates contesting in their wards.
“Independent candidates should know the issues of their area if they are contesting. If citizens feel that they are just proxy candidates meant to dent the vote bank, voters should take a call while voting,'' a member said.

Political Research and Analysis Bureau 
Chandrakant Bhujbal - 9422323533