Every third Lok Satta candidate is a BC

Every third person fielded by the Lok Satta to contest the elections to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly belongs to the backward class. And unlike those of other parties, the Lok Satta contestants are from poor and middle class BC families.

The Lok Satta and its ally Backward Class United Front together are contesting 271 of the 294 Assembly seats. Of them, the Lok Satta has fielded 81 and the BC United Front 14 BC candidates. In addition, the Lok Satta and the BC United Front have given representation to 44 SCs, 16 STs. 30 women and 8 minorities. The physically challenged and former naxalites are among the candidates chosen. The Lok Satta is contesting in 33 of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies. More than 50 percent of candidates are youth.

Disclosing this at a media conference here today, party spokesmen V. Laxman Balaji and Dr. P. Bhaskara Rao said that although the Lok Satta was committed to giving 33 percent representation to women, not many with leadership qualities had come forward to seek the party ticket.

They pointed out that while all other parties chose candidates who could spend the highest amounts, the Lok Satta chose its candidates on the basis of their integrity, leadership qualities and their commitment against luring voters with money and liquor.

The Lok Satta had attracted a large number of prospective candidates because of the opportunities it provided to the hitherto unrepresented common people, they said.

In future, the Lok Satta Party will name candidates chosen by people in a secret ballot and make the screening committee redundant.

The spokesmen appealed to the people to come forward and shoulder responsibilities as polling agents since the party belonged to them and not so some leaders.