Will Dr. JP face contest?

Will there be a contest to the post of the President of the Lok Satta Party, now being held by Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan?

It seems likely, going by the party’s State Election Authority’s disclosure today that three sets of nomination had been collected by party workers. Nominations will be accepted on December 24 and 25, 2008.

Elections to leadership at all levels of the party are due to take place by secret ballot during January 4-7, 2009. The election results will be declared on January 9. 2009.

Talking to the media, Mr. P. S. Bhagawanlu, Mr. K. Madhusudhana Rao, Mr. M. Satyanarayana and Mrs. A. Annapurna, members of the Election Authority, said returning officers are being trained in conducting the elections in which nearly 500000 ordinary members and 70000 active members are expected to exercise their franchise.

It is for the first time in the history of political parties that organization elections to elect presidents and other office-bearers from the mandal to the State level are taking place directly and that too through secret ballot.