Parliamentary Elections 2009

What should a voter consider while voting in the upcoming Parliamentary elections? National Issues or Local Issues?

A tricky question to answer. While we must consider mainly national issues while voting to elect our Country’s Government, we normally are more influenced by state level or even local issues. State politics play an important role in parliamentary elections also.

While local issues are important for the electorates, it’s the national issues and the performance of their MPs that must be given more importance. Local issues cannot be influenced much by the MPs since the local administration is State’s & Local Body’s (Corporation/Municipality/Panchayat) purview.

National Issues of Importance:

1. National Security
- External Threat from Terrorism, Neighbours
- Internal Threat from radial organisations
- Political unwillingness & inability to have stringent anti-terror laws and enforcement

2. Stable Economy
- Protect national economy from global economic turbulances
- Policies to benefit the common man and not FIIs
- Government to be enabler for jobs and not a provider for jobs

3. Social Engineering
- Discriminatory Policies in favour of any particular community/religion/caste/creed must be scraped.
- Uniform Civil Code for all Indians
- Uniform rules & regulation across the length & breadth of India while ensuring that regional & local identity is preserved.

4. Political & Judicial Reforms
- Candidate contesting & winning from more than one constituency and then resigning from one must be asked to reimburse the cost of elections in that constituency.
- Political parties must be forced to put their accounts in public domain
- Faster trials in courts.
- Streamline Appeals process in Judiciary. If Higher Court rules against the lower court order then both orders must be reviewed by an independent body and judge giving the wrong decision must be punished. If both concur then the party appealing must bear the full cost of the case in both the courts.

5. Governance
- Quicken the process of e-governance implementation. Reduce the interaction between public and Public Servants.
- Strikes & Bandhs affecting General Public must be made illegal. Those wanting to protest must do so with the responsible concerned. General Public must not be disturbed.
- Improve RTI Act. Enable Online submission of RTI Application to any department from a central authority in each state (like the one implemented at Centre)
- Make Public Servants & Elected Representatives responsible for any mismanagement in Government.
- Reform Land Records. Ensure Registering Authority must also be responsible for prevention of fraud.
- Ensure adequate publicity & visibility for grievance/ complaining process is displayed prominantly in Public Office and e-enable it.

Please write your opinion on these issues and also add any other issue you think is of national importance.

Use this to list down all the issues you would like to bring to the notice of the Candidates in particular and public in general.

Anything public issue related to your constituency in particular or of state/national importance can be included here.

Use this to list down all the issues you would like to bring to the notice of the Candidates in particular and public in general.

Anything public issue related to your constituency in particular or of state/national importance can be included here.

Use this to list down all the issues you would like to bring to the notice of the Candidates in particular and public in general.

Anything public issue related to your constituency in particular or of state/national importance can be included here.